Leonard Breecher Tobacco and Chewing Gum Card Collection

Baseball and Bubble Gum

The thrill of getting something "for free" is even more exhilarating when the freebie is related to baseball. This was certainly the case in the early 20th century when tobacco, candy, and chewing gum companies printed "trade cards" with the company name attached for advertising purposes.  For many ball fans, these drawings were some of the first images they had seen of their baseball heroes, and the baseball card collecting frenzy was born.


This digital component of a larger University of Louisville collection holds 154 digital images of baseball cards from the early 20th century.

Christy Mathewson, NY Giants

Back of Christy Mathewson Card
Piedmont Cigarette

View the Leonard Breecher Tobacco and Chewing Gum Card Collection
Repository: The University of Louisville Library

NC State baseball - 1900

Padded breeches and all!

North Carolina State's baseball team in 1900. Not yet called NC State, the AMC stood for [North Carolina College of] Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.

View many other images of NC State baseball through the years
Repository: NC State Special Collections Resource Center