In a roundabout irony, baseball, derived from the British game of cricket, was introduced in Jolly Old England when English-born sportswriter Alexander Cartwright spread the gospel of the fledgling sport on tours to the mother country in the mid-1800s. By 1890, its 1st pro league, the Baseball Association of Great Britain, was formed. This extraordinarily rare mounted photo shows the 1890 Derby Base Ball Club, identified at the bottom of the card as "The First Baseball Club Established in Great Britain" in their spiffy uniforms and Cub Scout-like hats, along with team president Francis Ley. All players are identified under the 10 x 11 1/2" group portrait and the sepia-toned image is strong and clear save for a thin band of discoloration running from top to bottom of the 14 1/2 x 16" total display area, though it's more noticeable above and below the image. Under glass in an impressive wooden and metal antique frame with great detailing. Baseball knighthood.