E.C. Carter, Runner, from World's Champions, Second Series (N43) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This is a chromolithograph trading card from the 1888 "World's Champions" series produced by Allen & Ginter for their cigarette brand. It features E.C. Carter, a runner, and depicts him in a portrait style with a decorative background. The card showcases Carter’s athleticism with an illustration of two runners in the bottom left corner and a red running shoe icon on his chest. This card, and the series it belongs to, is a collectible piece of Americana and offers insight into the cultural fascination with athleticism and the evolution of early sports advertising in the late 19th century.