Oversized studio photograph of a young boy wearing a catcher's mask, taken by renowned St. Louis photographer F. W. Guerin. The boy is pictured with his hands clasped together in front of him as he stands on a pedestal wearing nothing but the catcher's mask (the small lace apron covering his genitalia is hand illustrated). The photographer's credit, Copyright 1888 F. W. Guerin, appears in white lettering in the lower right corner. This is certainly the most unusual 19-century baseball image we have ever seen, and it is not surprising that it was produced by Guerin. A photographer of little note until he won a medal for his work at the Paris Exposition in 1878, Guerin quickly parlayed that fame into a lucrative portraiture business, specializing in photographs of society figures and celebrities. Although he catered to the wealthier classes, he made sure that his works were constantly in the public's eye by producing photos of an unusual or humorous nature, including many featuring children. The offered photo is one such example and may have originally been displayed in his studio or submitted for consideration at one of the many art competitions he entered (he won numerous awards over the years for his work). Today, many of his photos reside in the Library of Congress. The photo (16x20"), mounted on heavy stock, displays several small border tears and/or chips, as well as additional blemishes along the bottom border. A pinhole is located on the boy's right arm, along with a few light scratches. Good to Very Good condition.