Horse-racing history in cigarette cards · 18.12.07
The New York Public Library has begun to digitize, and make searchable on-line, its collection of cigarette collectors’ cards. They were similar to the sports trading cards distributed in bubble-gum packs – I also remember Lipton Tea (or was it Red Rose?) also distributed collectible cards. According to NYPL:
Cigarette or tobacco cards began in the mid-19th century as premiums, enclosed in product packaging. They were usually issued in numbered series of twenty-five, fifty, or larger runs to be collected, spurring subsequent purchases of the same brand. Typically, these small cards feature illustrations on one side with related information and advertising text on the other.
One series featured at the NYPL site is Famous Racehorses. Most horses in this and other series are from the British Isles, although Zev managed to find his way into the “Aristocrats of the Turf” collection (probably based on his win against English Derby winner Papyrus – click “View Verso” to read the caption on the back of the card).
Here’s one of my favourites, from the collection Famous Irish-Bred horses (again, click “View Verso” to read the caption):
More images of horses, jockeys, races, and racecourses – scanned from photographs and postcards – can be found under the heading Horses, horse racing in the NYPL’s Pageant of America collections.
Would Upper Deck or one of the other sports card companies ever consider publishing a horse racing series? And why hasn’t the NTRA, or Breeders’ Cup, or any other racing organization thought of this already?
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