Thomas Nast Portfolio
The National League and Association
was formed in
1892 by the merger of twelve baseball clubs, and the
growing popularity of the game is reflected in this cover
by Thomas Nast. The cartoonist spoofs the relatively
new innovation of sports photography with the
drawing’s wavy commentary: “For artistic posing and
effect, there is nothing like a study of instantaneous
photography, especially during the baseball season,”
and illustrates his point with wonderfully vigorous
baseball players, including one sliding into base in the
lower right corner. Although much of Nast’s later work
was undistinguished, he used pen, brush, and penknife
on chalk-surfaced paper overlaid with benday tones
effectively here.