William Ewing, Baseball Player, Catcher, New York, from World's Champions, Series 2 (N29) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card of William Ewing was made by Allen & Ginter, a tobacco company, sometime in the late 19th century. Produced using chromolithography, a color printing technique, it was a mass-produced insert included in cigarette packs. The card's texture and weight speak to its origins as a promotional item, designed to be collected and traded. The detailed illustration, achieved through layering of colors, captures Ewing's likeness, immortalizing him as a sporting hero. It also gives us an insight into the modes of production and consumption characteristic of the era. While it may appear as a simple piece of printed paper, this card speaks volumes about the intersection of sport, advertising, and consumer culture in America's Gilded Age. It challenges traditional distinctions between commercial ephemera and collectible art.