Edward C Dana was a very successful and famous 19th Century photographer who became interested in photography after seeing photos of the Civil War. He opened his first studio in Brooklyn in 1875 and his skill as a photographer coupled with his business acumen resulted in an increasing amount of notoriety awards and visibility in his field. Somewhat of a visionary Dana and his chief printer George A. Connor experimented with a variety of printing processes inventing a form of photo printing called "carbonate." Dana also became one of the first photographers to begin selling his photos to the editors of various publications for use in print. In 1895 Dana took a series of studio portraits of members of the Pittsburgh Pirates including this one of then-Pirates shortstop Monte Cross. The image better recognized as the image on Cross' W600 Sporting Life cabinet is absolutely stunning one of the first early cabinet photos not to feature the subject set against a painted background (as seen on many Old Judge cards for instance). The photo in outstanding condition is one of a small number of Dana Pittsburgh Pirates cabinets that appeared for sale on eBay several years ago and remain the only examples we have seen. We are extremely privileged to offer two different examples in this auction each one possibly unique. The mount is worn at the corners and edges the chief condition flaws being pinholes at the top and bottom of the mount. The photograph itself is sensational in near mint condition with tremendous contrast. Cross went on to have a 15-year career in baseball primarily in Philadelphia with the Phillies and A's. An exquisite museum-quality piece likely unique one of a small number of such cabinet photos produced by one of New York's most successful photographers in 1895.