- The footage, believed to have been taken by Elizabeth "Miss Pansy" Ireland, captures early 20th-century Black baseball teams competing on plantations.
- The University of Georgia helped restore and research the film, confirming its historical significance.
- Watch the video to learn how this discovery connects to families still living in Thomasville.
BROADCAST SCRIPT
A film clip from more than a century ago is rewriting baseball history.
I'm taking a closer look at how Pebble Hill Plantation's rare footage of Black baseball made its way from Thomasville all the way to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Hidden away for decades—until a discovery inside Pebble Hill's main house changed everything.
"Years ago, we contacted an archivist from the University of Georgia to come down and assist the conditions of all of these pieces, and that's when it was discovered. This archivist had a real interest in baseball footage and did a huge amount of research on it," said Lori Curtis, Curator.
It's now recognized as the oldest known moving footage of organized Black baseball.
The rare film, believed to be shot by Elizabeth "Miss Pansy" Ireland, captures a game played between plantation teams right here in Thomasville.
"She was better known locally as Miss Pansy, and she was the landowner of Pebble Hill, but she and her mother Kate were avid photographers and documented so much of the life here at Pebble Hill," said Lori Curtis, Curator.
The footage, now owned by the University of Georgia, showcases a time when baseball was more than just a game—it was a way of life.
Teams played in full uniforms, and players were sometimes hired not for their work skills, but for their talent on the field.
"Baseball was so important to this community. I mean, people would drop everything they were doing on days that there were baseball games," said Kim McCray, Communications coordinator.
These games weren't just casual matchups.
"Pebble Hill's team in particular branched out and actually played Florida A&M at one point. Now, I don't know if it was competitively," said Lori Curtis, Curator.
This rare piece of history now has a permanent home at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
And the most surprising part? Some of the players' families may still be living right here in Thomasville.
"We do know because of last names that there are many descendants that are still here in the area. We would love to meet them, if they see this story, we would love to hear from them," said Lori Curtis, Curator.
You can watch the footage online.
