E.A. Burch, Champion Baseball Fielder, from the Champions of Games and Sports series (N184, Type 2) issued by W.S. Kimball & Co.

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American sports culture with *E.A. Burch, Baseball Fielder*, a gem from the *Champions Games and Sports* seriesN184, Type 2), issued by W.S. Kimball &. in 1887. This petite commercial color lithograph, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 1/2 inches, captures the athletic prowess of E.A. Burch, a baseball star, in a dynamic pose that embodies the era's growing obsession with the national pastime. Produced as promotional ephemera—likely tucked into cigarette packages—these cards turned everyday tobacco purchases into collectible treasures, blending advertising with hero worship. Chromolithography, the medium's hallmark technique, allowed for bold, eye-catching colors and fine details on a mass scale, making sports icons accessible to fans far and wide. In 1887, baseball was exploding in popularity amid professional leagues like the National League, and cards like this fueled the sport's commercialization, immortalizing players as champions. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights ephemera's artistic value—once disposable, now prized for preserving a slice of Gilded Age enthusiasm for athleticism and leisure. This tiny print invites us to ponder how sports and commerce intertwined, sparking collecting crazes that endure in museums and attics alike.

About the Artist

W.S. Kimball & Co.

William S. Kimball & Co. was a tobacco manufacturer based in Rochester, New York, whose influence extended well beyond the cigarette trade into the realm of popular visual culture. Founded in 1846 by William S. Kimball and James C. Hart, the company grew into one of the largest tobacco concerns in the United States, erecting a landmark factory along the Erie Canal on Court Street in 1880. The buil...