Chas. Gross & Co.

Chas. Gross & Co. was a commercial firm active in 1887, specializing in photography and the production of promotional prints and trade materials. The firm is primarily documented through its association with early American professional baseball, producing materials for advertising purposes during the late nineteenth century.

Eight photographs attributed to Chas. Gross & Co. are represented in museum collections, confirming the firm’s role at the intersection of commercial lithography and the developing market for sports ephemera. Their known output centers on the Kalamazoo Bats series (N690), which was explicitly issued to promote the Kalamazoo Bats manufacturer.

Key works preserved from this series include Andrews, Center Field, Philadelphia; Irwin, Shortstop, Philadelphia; and Mulvey, 3rd Base, Philadelphia. Other documented subjects feature Lynch, Mets and the dual portrait Milligan, Catcher and Larkins, Left Field, Athletics.

The surviving examples of Chas. Gross & Co.'s work are held in prestigious institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These historical documents, often preserved as museum-quality photographs, provide primary source material documenting American sporting figures. Although the firm's output was commercial, its images are valued today for their documentary quality and detail. Many of these historical images are considered to be in the public domain and are available as high-quality prints for study and reference.