Mulvey, 3rd Base, Phila. baseball card

Share

The card names a third baseman and the city of Philadelphia, which places it among the early baseball cards made for the sport's growing professional leagues. Cards like this were often issued as tobacco inserts or trade cards, and they usually paired a player's name and position with a portrait or drawing. Philadelphia was among the most important baseball cities of the 19th century, so a card identifying a player with the local club reflects how closely collectors followed their teams. Its brief caption, which lists only the surname, position and city, is typical of the period, when printed cards gave fans a way to know the players they saw on the field.

More from the Baseball collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.