Williams, St. Louis, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company 1909 - 1911

This small baseball card, made for the American Tobacco Company, captures Williams of St. Louis in a moment of quiet anticipation. The palette is muted, almost dreamlike, with colors that feel both familiar and distant, like a memory. The surface is surprisingly textured for such a small image. Look closely, and you can see the subtle grain of the paper and the way the ink has settled, almost like a watercolor painting. The colors are soft and washy, which gives the image a sense of depth and atmosphere, pulling you into the scene. The blocky 'STL' across the chest are so bold and simple, they could be straight out of a Philip Guston painting. It's amazing to think about the countless hands this card has passed through, each leaving its own invisible mark. In a way, it reminds me of a tiny, portable folk art piece, echoing the spirit of artists like Joseph Yoakum, who transformed humble materials into something deeply personal. These works remind us that art is always in conversation, and that even the smallest gesture can carry a world of meaning.