Curt Flood letters and photographs, circa 1959-1996.

0.21 linear feet (1 box)

English

Purchased by William Reese Company (Swann Galleries sale 2503, 2019 March 28, lot 386) on the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection of Negro Arts & Letters Fund, 2019.

This material is open for research.

Curt Flood (1938-1997) was an African-American baseball player who played in the major leagues for the Cincinnati Redlegs (1956-1957), the St. Louis Cardinals (1957-1969), and the Washington Senators (1971). He married Beverly Collins in 1959, was divorced in 1966, and married Judy Pace in 1986.

Two typescript letters, signed, and three photographs. One letter, to Tommy Davis, on the letterhead of the Curt Flood Youth Foundation, discusses possible future activities of the foundation, and cites the impact of current events, including the aftermath of the Rodney King trial and verdict, on the Black community of Los Angeles. The other letter, addressed to Joe Black, is on Curtis Flood's personal stationery. The photographs are of Curtis Flood during his playing days with the St. Louis Cardinals. One of the photographs shows Curtis Flood with St. Louis Cardinals player and coach Terry Moore, and is inscribed on the verso "Terry Moore '59". Accompanied by a letter of provenance dated 2009 from Hunt Auctions, describing the approximate dates and content of the letters and signed by Judy Pace.

Archives or Manuscripts / Images

October 19, 2020

Curt Flood Letters and Photographs. James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection in the Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Curt Flood Letters and Photographs. James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection in the Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Photographs.

Baseball players.