A young baseball player photographed outdoors with an early bat forms the subject of this sixth plate tintype, produced likely in the 1860s to 1870s when the ferrotype process was at peak popularity and the sport itself was rapidly spreading across America. The image is cased in a leather case with an embossed scrollwork exterior and retains its original gilt mat framed with an oval rope-and-foliate border. No photographer's imprint is visible.

The boy reclines in hay or dry grass against a split-rail fence, gripping a long, slender early baseball bat across his lap with both hands. He wears a loose button-front shirt with a banded collar, short trousers, and knit stockings, and directs a wide, impish grin at the camera. A second figure, largely obscured, is visible behind him at left.

Early baseball sporting images in cased formats from this period are uncommon and keenly sought by collectors of both photographic history and baseball memorabilia. The outdoor setting, relaxed pose, and prominent display of the bat suggest this was a deliberate and proud statement of the boy's pastime. The case interior is lined with embossed red velvet on the cover side opposite the image.

From the collection of James Lee Soffer