Baseball Player Show Figure
According to the American Folk Art Museum, beginning in the mid-19th century, depictions of baseball pervaded every aspect of daily life. Baseball, especially the image of the baseball player, emerged as a powerful advertising symbol as seen in this rare trade figure “Baseball Player”, carved in the legendary New York City workshop of Samuel A. Robb. The jaunty mustachioed player is part of a tradition of large-scale sculpture used to advertise tobacco shops and other businesses throughout the country.
According to the American Folk Art Museum, beginning in the mid-19th century, depictions of baseball pervaded every aspect of daily life. Baseball, especially the image of the baseball player, emerged as a powerful advertising symbol as seen in this rare trade figure “Baseball Player”, carved in the legendary New York City workshop of Samuel A. Robb. The jaunty mustachioed player is part of a tradition of large-scale sculpture used to advertise tobacco shops and other businesses throughout the country.
Originally published: June 23, 2003. Last Updated: June 23, 2003.