Timeline

1. 1887

   Allen & Ginter World's Champions (N28)
   LOT 13163-01
   Medium: 9 prints : chromolithograph
   Dimensions: ca. 2.75 x 1.5 inches

   This set is generally acknowledged as the first significant tobacco set issued. Ten baseball players are included in the set, which also depicts six other sports.

   

2. 1887

   Buchner Gold Coin (N284)
   LOT 13163-02
   Medium: 58 prints : chromolithograph
   Dimensions: ca. 3 x 1.75 inches D. Buchner & Company issued this set which includes portraits of actual players, as well as general representations of players by position.

   

3. 1887

   Gypsy Queens (N175)
   LOT 13163-03
   Medium: 4 photographic prints : albumen
   Dimensions: ca. 2.5 x 1.5 inches Goodwin & Company issued this set, using the same photographic portraits as the Old Judge (N172) set.

   

4. 1887

   Kalamazoo Bats (N690)
   LOT 13163-04
   Medium: 1 photographic print : albumen
   Dimensions: ca. 4 x 2.25 inches Charles Gross & Co. of Philadelphia issued this set comprised of players from four teams: the New York Giants and Mets, and the Philadelphia Athletics and Phillies.

   

5. 1887-90

   Old Judge (N172)
   LOT 13163-05
   Medium: 476 photographic prints : albumen
   Dimensions: ca. 2.4375 x 1.5 inches Players from over 40 major and minor league teams are depicted in this set, one of the largest 19th century sets issued.

   

6. 1888

   Allen & Ginter World's Champions (N29)
   LOT 13163-06
   Medium: 4 prints : chromolithograph
   Dimensions: ca. 2.75 x 1.5 inches This second set issued by Allen & Ginter includes six baseball players.

   

7. 1888

   Allen & Ginter World's Champions (N43)
   LOT 13163-07
   Medium: 5 prints : chromolithograph
   Dimensions: ca. 3.25 x 2.875 inches This set of unusually large and elaborate cards adds decorative imagery around the same portraits used for the Allen & Ginter N29 set.

   

8. 1888

   Goodwin Champions (N162)
   LOT 13163-08
   Medium: 8 prints : chromolithograph
   Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.5 inches Goodwin & Company issued this set of lithographic cards printed in color, which includes eight baseball players.

   

9. 1888

   S.F. Hess California League (N321)
   LOT 13163-09
   Medium: 2 prints : chromolithograph
   Dimensions: ca. 2.875 x 1.5 inches S.F. Hess & Company issued this set, comprised entirely of players in the California League.

   

10. 1888

    S.F. Hess Newsboys League (N333)
    LOT 13163-10
    Medium: 1 photographic print : albumen
    Dimensions: ca. 2.875 x 1.5 inches S.F. Hess & Co. issued this set depicting newspaper boys from eight newspapers in eight Northeastern cities.

    

11. 1888

    W.S. Kimball Champions (N184)
    LOT 13163-11
    Medium: 4 prints : chromolithograph
    Dimensions: ca. 2.75 x 1.5 inches Four baseball players are portrayed in this set, which features a posed portrait above a drawing of the player in action.

    

12. 1888

    Yum Yum Tobacco (N403)
    LOT 13163-12
    Medium: 5 photographic prints : albumen
    Dimensions: ca. 2.75 x 1.375 inches August Beck & Company issued this set which includes studio photo portraits and full-length action line drawings similar to those used in the Old Judge (N172) set.

    

13. 1888-89

    Old Judge Cabinets (N173)
    LOT 13163-13
    Medium: 26 photographic prints on cabinet card mount: albumen
    Dimensions: ca. 6.5 x 4.25 inches The cards in this large format set were offered as premiums in exchange for coupons distributed in cigarette packages.

    

14. 1889

    S.F. Hess (N338-2)
    LOT 13163-14
    Medium: 2 photographic prints : albumen
    Dimensions: ca. 2.75 x 1.5 inches The Edwards collection contains two cards from this small set issued by S.F. Hess & Company. The complete set includes players from four teams.

    

15. 1895

    Mayo's Cut Plug (N300)
    LOT 13163-15
    Medium: 3 photomechanical prints : halftone and stencil
    Dimensions: ca. 2.875 x 1.625 inches These cards were distributed in tins of chewing tobacco rather than in cigarette packs.

    

16. 1909

    Obak (T212)
    LOT 13163-16
    Medium: 14 prints : chromolithograph with relief
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.5 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this minor league set for the Pacific Coast League. The three Obak card sets are distinguished by the color and style of lettering, and the content of the text on the back.

    

17. 1909

    Ramly Cigarettes (T204)
    LOT 13163-17
    Medium: 55 photomechanical prints : halftone and stencil
    Dimensions: ca. 2.5 x 2 inches This set features black-and-white photographic portraits surrounded by ornate gold-embossed frames and borders.

    

18. 1909-11

    White Borders (T206)
    LOT 13163-18
    Medium: 520 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.4375 inches This set, among the largest and most widely distributed, includes nearly 525 color portraits surrounded by a white border.

    

19. 1909-12

    Domino Discs (PX7)
    LOT 13163-19
    Medium: 2 photomechanical prints : halftone
    Dimensions: ca. 1.125 inches diameter The American Tobacco Company issued this set of circular cards with metal rims.

    

20. 1910

    Contentnea First Series (T209)
    LOT 13163-20
    Medium: 10 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.6875 x 1.5625 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this set featuring players in the minor leagues from the Carolinas and Virginia.

    

21. 1910

    Contentnea Photo Series (T209)
    LOT 13163-21
    Medium: 1 photomechanical print : halftone
    Dimensions: ca. 2.75 x 1.625 inches This second Contentnea series, comprised of black-and-white halftone photographs rather than color prints, features players from the same minor league teams as the First Series.

    

22. 1910

    Nadja Philadelphia Athletics (E104)
    LOT 13163-22
    Medium: 18 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.75 x 1.5 inches These cards, distributed with candy caramels rather than tobacco, feature only players from the Philadelphia Athletics.

    

23. 1910

    Obak (T212)
    LOT 13163-23
    Medium: 116 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.5 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this minor league set for the Pacific Coast and Northwestern Leagues. The three Obak card sets are distinguished by the color and style of lettering, and the content of the text on the back.

    

24. 1910

    Old Mill Cigarettes (T210)
    LOT 13163-24
    Medium: 8 prints : relief, halftone and stencil
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.5 inches This set is made up of eight distinct series, each representing a different minor league.

    

25. 1911

    Gold Borders (T205)
    LOT 13163-25
    Medium: 200 photomechanical prints
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.4375 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this set of cards named for their gold borders and depicting major and minor league players.

    

26. 1911

    Helmar Stamps (T332)
    LOT 13163-26
    Medium: 12 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 1.375 x 1.125 inches The Helmar Tobacco Company issued this set of stamps, not cards, with as many as 50 different decorative designs. The stamps were placed in glassine envelopes within the cigarette packages.

    

27. 1911

    Mecca Double Folders (T201)
    LOT 13163-27
    Medium: 50 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 4.6875 x 2.25 inches Distributed with Mecca Cigarettes, each card portrays two players--one when the card is open, another when the card is folded.

    

28. 1911

    Obak (T212)
    LOT 13163-28
    Medium: 41 prints : lithograph with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.5 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this minor league set for the Pacific Coast and Northwestern Leagues. The three Obak card sets are distinguished by the color and style of lettering, and the content of the text on the back.

    

29. 1911

    Turkey Red Cabinets (T3)
    LOT 13163-29
    Medium: 95 prints : chromolithograph with hand-color
    Dimensions: ca. 8 x 5.75 inches The American Tobacco Company offered these large format lithographic cards printed in color as premiums in exchange for coupons distributed in cigarette packages.

    

30. 1912

    Brown Backgrounds (T207)
    LOT 13163-30
    Medium: 200 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.4375 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this set, which features player portraits with brown backgrounds and player biographies on the back.

    

31. 1912

    Hassan Triple Folders (T202)
    LOT 13163-31
    Medium: 123 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.25 x 5.5 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this set featuring a black-and-white action photograph flanked by color portraits of two different players.

    

32. 1912

    Series of Champions (T227)
    LOT 13163-32
    Medium: 4 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 3.375 x 2.3125 inches Four baseball players are included in this series.

    

33. 1913

    Fatima Team Cards (T200)
    LOT 13163-33
    Medium: 13 photographic prints : gelatin silver
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 4.75 inches The Liggett & Myers Company issued this set of team photographs.

    

34. 1914

    Fatima (T222)
    LOT 13163-34
    Medium: 7 photographic prints : gelatin silver
    Dimensions: ca. 4.5 x 2.5 inches The American Tobacco Company issued this set of slightly larger photographic cards.

    

35. 1914

    Piedmont Art Stamps (T330-2) LOT 13163-35
    Medium: 2 prints : relief with halftone, color
    Dimensions: ca. 2.625 x 1.5 inches The Liggett & Myers Company issued this set of stamps based on the earlier Gold Borders (T205) card set.

    

36. 1911

    Obak Cabinets (T4)
    LOT 13163-36
    Medium: 1 photographic print : gelatin silver
    Dimensions: ca. 6.9375 x 4.9375 inches The cards in this set were offered as premiums in exchange for coupons distributed in cigarette packages. Issued in conjunction with the Obak T212 card set.