Lake, St. Louis, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company

Art Historical Context

Step into the early days of America's pastime with *Lake, St. Louis, American*, a gem from the legendary T206 White Border series produced by the American Tobacco Company 1909 and 1911. This petite commercial lithograph (just 2 5/8 x 1 7/16 inches) captures a portrait of the St. Louis Americans baseball player, rendered in vibrant color against a clean white border. Issued as inserts in cigarette packs, these fueled the growing obsession with baseball heroes, blending sports fandom with tobacco marketing during baseball's golden pre-World War I era. Lithography, a revolutionary printing technique of the time, allowed for mass production of these affordable, collectible ephemera, showcasing precise color layering and detailed portraits that made stars like "Lake" instantly recognizable. The T206 series, with over 500 variations, remains a cornerstone of sports memorabilia, prized for rarities and its role in popularizing player trading cards—sparking a hobby that endures today. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this card is part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a monumental gift that elevated baseball cards from mere promotions to cultural artifacts. It reminds us how everyday objects can encapsulate the thrill of athletic achievement and the artistry of commercial design.

About the Artist

American Tobacco Company · 1826–1909

**American Tobacco Company (1890–1911)** Founded on January 31, 1890, in Durham, North Carolina, by James Buchanan Duke, the American Tobacco Company emerged from the consolidation of five major U.S. tobacco manufacturers: W. Duke & Sons, Allen & Ginter, Goodwin & Company, W.S. Kimball & Co., and Kinney Brothers. Under Duke's aggressive leadership, it rapidly achieved monopoly status, controlling...