Card 4, from the Girl Baseball Players series (N48, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1886 - 1888

Allen & Ginter created this small card, part of the "Girl Baseball Players" series, as a promotional item for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The sepia tones give a nostalgic feel to the image, which depicts two women in baseball attire against a backdrop of a blurred landscape. Compositionally, the figures create a dynamic interplay of vertical and horizontal lines. One player stands poised to throw a ball, arm raised, forming a strong vertical axis. In contrast, the other player is sprawled horizontally, sliding into base, creating a visual tension that animates the scene. The choice of subject matter, women in a traditionally male sport, is particularly striking. It disrupts established categories of gender roles. The image taps into broader cultural shifts, challenging fixed meanings and engaging with new ways of thinking about representation. This small card, more than just a promotional item, functions as a cultural artifact. It reflects and participates in the ongoing negotiation and re-interpretation of gender and social norms.