1890s Cabinet card (OH)

This 1890's vintage original sepia-toned cabinet photo reveals the distaff squad. Several of the nine women look anything but lady-like, adopting slouching or indifferent postures, and a couple of others emulate their male counterparts of the day by affecting intimidating or determined expressions. Unlike their Gay Nineties contemporaries whose uniforms typically employed pants or bloomers, this stocking-clad nine wore striped dresses—suggesting, perhaps, that the photo's origin may be even earlier than the 1890s. Regardless, it is certainly early in the history of women's baseball, and more than that, it is limitlessly charming. Cabinet photo measures 4-1/4 x 6-1/2 inches. Noted photographer: Dillon's Imperial Photo Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio.