Beale, Harvard University, from the College Football Stars series (N302) for Mayo's Cut Plug Tobacco
Medium
Commercial lithograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 13/16 × 1 5/8 in. (7.2 × 4.2 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.222.302.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 1890s American sports culture with this diminutive commercial lithograph,Beale, Harvard University from the College Football Stars (N302) issued by P.H. & Brother of Richmond, Virginia. Produced in 1894, this pocket-sized portrait (just 2 13/16 × 1 5/8 inches) captures Harvard footballer Beale in a style typical of tobacco trade cards—colorful, bold, and designed to thrill collectors. These ephemera were tucked into packs of Mayo's Cut Plug Tobacco, transforming everyday smoking into a gateway for fandom. Lithography, the medium here, revolutionized mass printin...