John Dunlop, Harvard University, from the College Football Stars series (N302) for Mayo's Cut Plug Tobacco

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1890s American sports culture with this petite commercial lithograph, *John Dunlop, Harvard*, from the College Football Stars series (N) issued by P.H. Mayo & Brother of Richmond, Virginia. Produced in 1894, this 2 13/16 × 1 5/8-inch card captures the dashing portrait of Harvard's star football player, exemplifying the era's growing obsession with college athletics. Tobacco companies like Mayo's cleverly distributed these inserts in their Cut Plug Tobacco packages, turning everyday smokers into collectors of gridiron heroes. Lithography, the medium here, allowed for vivid, mass-produced color printing that made these ephemera affordable and eye-catching—perfect for promoting both the product and the players. As one of the earliest forms of sports trading cards, it highlights the commercialization of football, then a rough-and-tumble Ivy League pastime gaining national fervor. Harvard's prominence underscores the sport's ties to elite education and emerging American masculinity. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this tiny treasure reveals how advertising fused art, sport, and consumer culture, foreshadowing modern memorabilia. A delightful glimpse into Gilded Age fandom!