Lafayette "Lave" Napoleon Cross, Catcher, Philadelphia, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This is a baseball card featuring Lafayette "Lave" Napoleon Cross, a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, from the "Old Judge" series, issued by Goodwin & Company between 1887 and 1890. The card, a black and white photograph, shows Cross in a catcher's stance, wearing a uniform and a catcher's mask. The card is a collectible piece of American baseball history and an example of early baseball card design. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.