2nd Base, from the Girl Baseball Players series (N48, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1886 - 1888

This baseball card from the Girl Baseball Players series was produced by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The sepia-toned card depicts a female baseball player poised to strike a ball, set against an open field. The composition divides into distinct zones: the upper corners are filled with text, anchoring the image, while the lower field contains the figure of a female baseball player. The neutral tonality throughout the card emphasizes the structural clarity of the image. What are the semiotic implications of framing athleticism within the world of tobacco advertising? The depicted female baseball player challenges established meanings, values, or categories. The card invites us to consider how these images negotiated the shifting terrain of gender roles and commercial representation in late 19th-century America.