A display of baseball-related treasures from the Library of Congress collections accompanied the Baseball Americana symposium.
Coordinated by American Folklife Center reference specialist Todd Harvey, the exhibition featured curators from seven curatorial divisions within the Library who were on hand to answer questions about the items on display. Highlights included the first baseball image printed in America (1787), the earliest known dated baseball card (1865) and the original 1908 sheet music for “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” which came to the Library through the U.S. copyright registration process.
Left: Cover of Spalding's "Official Base Ball Guide," 1889. - Prints and Photographs Division Right: Associaite Librarian for Library Services Deanna Marcum examines baseball related sheet music with music specialist Robin Rausch. - Megan Halsband
Other items included vintage photographs, early Spalding Guides (published by the Spalding Athletic Company in the late 19th and early 20th centuries) and manuscripts from the Branch Rickey collection, which includes correspondence, speeches and writings, scouting reports and other items relating to Rickey’s career as a major league baseball manager and executive.
Frank Ceresi, a baseball historian and appraiser of sports memorabilia for museums and auction houses, made a format presentation and spoke informally with members of the public who brought in their own baseball treasures.
