Podcast: Baseball Americana

Baseball, the sport that helped reunify the country in the years after the Civil War, is still considered the National Pastime. The Library of Congress houses the world’s largest baseball collection, documenting the history of the game and providing a unique look at America since the late 1700s. Now Baseball Americana (Smithsonian Books, 2010) presents the best of the best from that treasure trove. From baseball’s biggest stars to street urchins, from its most newsworthy stories to sandlot and Little League games, the book examines baseball’s hardscrabble origins, rich cultural heritage, and uniquely American character.

The more than 350 illustrations—many never before published—featured first-generation, vintage photographic and chromolithographic baseball cards; photographs of famous players and ballparks; and newspaper clippings, cartoons, New Deal photographs, and baseball advertisements.

We speak with co-author Harry Katz about the book and how it came to be.

Katz is the former curator in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress and a lifelong Red Sox fan. He curated the Library’s website devoted to historical baseball cards as well as multiple graphic art exhibitions.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.podbus.com/?p=440