Milligan, Catcher and Larkins, Left Field, Athletics, from the Kalamazoo Bats series (N690) issued by Chas. Gross & Co. to promote Kalamazoo Bats

Art Historical Context

This 1887 albumen photograph captures two players from the Philadelphia Athletics—catcher Milligan and left fielder Larkins—posed in their uniforms as part of the Kalamazoo Bats series. Issued by Chas. Gross & Co. to promote their line of baseball bats, the small card (just 2¼ by 4 inches) reflects the growing popularity of America’s pastime in the late nineteenth century. At a time when professional baseball was expanding, such images helped turn players into recognizable figures and linked the sport directly to commercial products. The choice of albumen photography was typical for the era’s...