PICTURING AMERICA'S PASTIME

PICTURING AMERICA'S PASTIME: A Snapshot of the Photograph Collection at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Lower Level Galleries
August 26 – November 16, 2025

As baseball became our “National Pastime” in mid-19th century America, a new art—photography—was there to document the sport. From the grandeur of the early game to the vibrancy of today’s big league action, almost every facet of baseball has been captured in sepia, black-and-white and color. Baseball and photography grew up together, each becoming more refined and gaining in popularity during the mid-19th century. As the repository of our national pastime’s long history the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum has organized an exhibition highlighting its expansive photographic archives.

Preserving the historic link between baseball and photography, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s collection of approximately 350,000 unique images is the world’s premiere repository of baseball photos, spanning well over 150 years of the sport’s history. The Picturing America’s Pastime exhibition features a variety of these timeless pictures, many by distinguished photographers and each accompanied by an enriching and historic quote. The exhibition commemorates and celebrates the inextricably entwined worlds of baseball and photography by picturing America’s pastime.