Taking the Field: The 19th Century

This exhibit offers an overview of baseball’s origins, featuring more than 150 artifacts. As you enter the exhibit, be sure to check out the Eckford Ball Case, featuring trophy balls from the Eckford club of the mid-1800s. Each ball is inscribed with the game score and the opposing team’s name. "Taking the Field" focuses on amateur baseball, the evolution of pro ball and equipment. Visitors will see the first catcher’s mask, the ball from the first game at which admission was charged and the oldest surviving uniform in existence. Ambient 19th century baseball music complements the exhibit, while an interactive video quiz helps illustrate the baseball rules of the time. Be sure to take notice of the custom-made Victorian wallpaper, emblematic of time period. This reproduction paper was manufactured at the nearby Farmers’ Museum.

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