Posted By:
Ryan ChristoffI would think it has something to do with the Centennial Exposition that took place in Philadephia that year. That wouldn't explain why the photographer is in Missouri, though.
Judging by the hat, he may have later been the founder of Hot-Dog-On-A-Stick!
Actually, what I find interesting is that he almost looks too much like a baseball player, if that makes any sense. Usually, baseball images from that time period never look that much like the prototypical post-19th century baseball player most of us see if someone asked us to close our eyes and picture a baseball player.
From the uniforms to the guys wearing them, ballplayers from 1876 just looked different. It seems like the ones that look the most like baseball players in uniform usually wind up being either fireman, soldiers, or sailors. Maybe bicyclists, too. I've also seen period uniforms that were exactly like baseball, including caps, worn by farmers at state fairs, I guess to look good showing off their pig or something.
-Ryan