Quote:
Originally Posted by dbrown
This makes me think of the slightly earlier lithographic from the civil war prison camp, published in 1863. Not the same reach as Currier & Ives but according to the Smithsonian writeup, it was a good seller. Is there an earlier widely published image that centers on the game?
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july...l-war-pow-game |
That Civil War print IMO is one of the most underappreciated and undervalued items of baseball memorabilia of which I am aware. Besides being a gorgeous image, it is historically very significant because it is an accurate portrayal of how baseball became popular in the south. I have been told (though I do not posses the expertise to confirm it) that it depicts actual people, including the artist.
As to the question of whether there are earlier widely published images that centers on the game, the answer is yes -- in the form of sheet music. The two most spectacular that come to mind are the Live Oak Polka (1860) and the Home Run Quick Step (1861).