The late 19th century was the glory days of the art poster. The advent of lithographic presses produced a staggering array of colorful posters advertising everything from burlesque performances to racing bicycles. Of all the subject matter, none is more collectible than that which depicts sports, with baseball being the most sought after. This example, printed in 1889 by Goodwin & Co., advertises the tobacco company’s premium “Baseball Album.” The uncredited poster artist pulled out all the stops when creating this lithographic masterpiece, with beautiful Victorian typography, exemplary composition, and soft tones. Four of the nine player pages from the album — John Ward portrait, Welch-Ewing-Ward-Keefe composite, Cap Anson portrait, and O’Rourke-Richardson-Gore-Connor composite — are masterfully rendered in brilliant full lithographic color. The poster invites the viewer to collect seventy-five coupons found in packages of the company’s Old Judge and Dog Head cigarettes.

The poster measures 20” x 27” and has been professionally matted and framed. The piece was initially issued with a thin metal edge at the top and bottom for display purposes, and this example has had these removed. The colors remain brilliant, despite the piece being over 130 years old. The piece shows some minor surface wrinkles, none of which are significant. There is a 2” crease near the “New York” lettering, which appears to have some very minor professional color restoration. As these posters were designed for display in stores for a limited period, surviving examples are scarce, with only four known — this being the finest by far. An absolutely beautiful example of 19th-century baseball art, ranking second to none.