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1. Benjamin K. Edwards collection

   ca. 13,000 items. -- Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

   Summary:

   This collection of tobacco trade cards documents advertising techniques used by American tobacco companies from the late 1800s through the 1940s. Cards were first issued by tobacco companies in the 1880s for distribution in cigarette packages and served to stiffen the packages, promote sales, and foster brand loyalty. Baseball cards became the most popular collecting subject, depicting professional, minor, and amateur league players and teams, 1887-1914. Larger illustrated albums featuring specific sets were also available for collectors. The tobacco cards and albums depict actors and actresses, historical figures, animals and plants, military personnel and equipment, Civil War heroes, various forms of transportation, flags, jokes and puzzles, depictions of life in the American West, and other subjects. Some of the collector's lists, correspondence, and notes relating to the collection of tobacco cards are included with the collection.

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