Stunning mixture of age, medium, and subject combine on this circa 1860s baseball-themed Ambrotype image. From the earliest days of photography, Ambrotypes consist of a positive image on a glass plate; the process was introduced in the mid-1850s and was only popular for about 10 years, thus finding one in any condition is exceedingly difficult, and one with a baseball theme is next to impossible. This is a 1/4" plate measuring 4x5" and is simply a beauty, identified on the paper inside the case as "C.A. Neide 1860 14yrs." In original wood case, the lid is detached from the case but the ornate covering only adds elegance to the piece. Boy depicted is holding a bat and is wearing a bib-front shirt, a cap, and a belt with the team name "PACIFIC." Some of the emulsion has pulled away from the glass but still looks great and is all original. Consider a piece over a century-and-a-half old, made of glass, and only in vogue for a decade and it is not difficult to see what a scarce prize this is in any condition.