Edgar Forrest Wolfe (1874-1958) was trained as a painter, eventually becoming the manager of the art department of the Pittsburgh Press and Philadelphia Inquirer. His love of sports - especially baseball - led him to produce a weekly illustrated column, using the pseudonym "Jim Nasium," his artwork also featured on the covers of The Sporting News. His illustrations often resembled the Victorian-era illustrations often seen on 19th Century advertising trade cards.

Presented here is a large-format illustration used to create a 1908 column for the Inquirer. The illustration features Philadelphia Phillies manager Billy Murray, along with Mike Doolin, Ed Grant and Kid Gleason, each figure including a descriptive caption.  At the upper-right corner is then-famous blackface entertainer George "Honey Boy" Evans, a huge baseball fan who spent two weeks with the Phillies in spring training of 1908, practicing with the team and socializing with the players.  Evans performed minstrel shows, at a time when such shows often featured both Black and female impersonators, certainly a regrettable time in entertainment history but a popular form of entertainment at the time nonetheless. Between 1908 and 1912, Evans commissioned a "World's Championship Batsman" trophy that was presented each year to the player with the highest batting average (Honus Wagner won it in 1908, Ty Cobb won it the next four seasons).  A version of the illustration, with some additions and changes to the art, appeared with Wolfe's column in the Inquirer on March 13, 1908 (our website includes a photo of the newspaper clipping).

Framed to a finished size of 25" x 18", the wooden frame appears vintage due to heavy chipping and wear, but is likely more recent, as the matte appears modern and the paper backing is relatively new as well.  The illustration itself is colorful, with significant foxing that adds a vintage feel to the piece. The color tinting is muted but still elegant. A fascinating piece of original vintage comic art, chronicling a well-documented visit to Phillies camp by a famous turn of the century entertainer.