Snapshots of the Past

Baseball Polka – Vintage Print

Baseball Polka, c1867. — antique lithograph
Baseball Polka, c1867.. Antique lithograph from the Baseball collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This antique lithograph of Baseball Polka brings a moment of history to your wall. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Baseball Polka

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This color lithograph uses a sheet music cover to pair a dance craze with the national pastime, presenting baseball as the subject of a polka. Publishers of the 1860s used bright lithographed covers to catch the eye of buyers in shops and parlors, and the polka was one of the most fashionable dance forms of the day. Baseball was gaining a following in the years after the Civil War, as local clubs formed across the country, so the cover reflects a sport moving toward mass popularity. The copyright credit to E.F. Fischer marks it as a commercial product of that busy music trade.

Created / publishedc1867.
Medium1 print : lithograph, color.
GenreSheet music covers 1860-1870.Lithographs Color 1860-1870.
NotesLOT subdivision subject: Sports. Title and other information transcribed from caption card and item. Copyright by E.F. Fischer. Caption card tracings: Baseball; Music Covers; Publ. Ind.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,536 × 1,188 px · prints to 5 × 4 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-145675

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