Elberfeld, Washington, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company 1909 - 1911

This is “Elberfeld, Washington, American League” from the White Border series, a baseball card distributed by the American Tobacco Company. Though the artist is nominally the company, these cards capture the cultural moment where sports and consumerism began to intertwine, reflecting early 20th-century American society. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs, incentivizing consumption and creating an early form of fan engagement. The image of Elberfeld, a white athlete, is framed within the burgeoning era of professional sports, where identity and representation played critical roles. This card exists in a time where racial segregation was the norm, it reflects the limited opportunities afforded to non-white athletes. The card embodies the complex layers of identity, commerce, and cultural values that shape our understanding of sports history. While celebrating individual players, it also reveals the underlying social structures that define who gets to play, and who gets celebrated. It makes us consider the stories that aren't told.