The early history of baseball cards is well documented, with the rise of printed cards starting in the late 1800s as a popular promotional item for chewing gum, tobacco, and candy companies. What is sometimes overlooked is the integral role that photography played in the evolution of baseball cards over the decades. From the earliest photographed images on cards to innovative printing techniques that brought the players to life, photography transformed baseball cards from a simple promotional item into beloved collectibles.
One of the first companies to feature real photographed images of players on cards was the American Tobacco Company with their series known as T206 White Border cards issued between 1909-1911. Prior to this, most early baseball cards from the late 1800s featured crude lithographed drawings or paintings of players. The T206 set raised the bar by including small black and white photos on the fronts. While the image quality was still quite low by today’s standards, it was a revolutionary change to have real photos of the stars of the day like Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb on cards for the first time.
In the following decades, photography continued to improve on cards issued by companies like Play Ball, Caramel, and Goudey. The 1930 Goudey Sport Kings set took photos to another level with beautifully designed portraits in vibrant colors. It was not until the modern golden age of the 1950s that photography truly came into its own on cards. Bowman, Topps, and other brands began issuing larger photo centered cards on thicker cardboard stock with sharp, high quality images. Legends like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron leapt off the cards in stunning Kodachrome photos.
Topps in particular pushed the boundaries by experimenting with new techniques like action shots on the 1956 set that placed players in posed action scenes. Their innovative use of close-up headshots on the 1959 cards are still considered some of the most iconic baseball card photos ever. Around this same time, Topps also began the tradition of including funny, quirky write-ups on the backs of cards that provided insights into each player’s personality. All of this helped turn simple photos into true works of collectible art.
The 1960s saw photography advance to new heights as color photography became standard. Cards from Topps, Fleer, and others featured stunning color portraits and action shots that brought the sport to life like never before. Topps especially raised the bar with their use of vibrant color schemes, creative lighting, unique camera angles, and well-composed shots on iconic sets like 1965. By the late 1960s, photography had become so advanced that some sets even included color action photos on the fronts of cards for the first time.
In the 1970s, photography continued to evolve as new printing techniques allowed for experimentation. Topps pioneered the use of embossed foil and textured stock on selected cards that made already great photos truly pop off the cardboard. Fleer also began experimenting with creative photography styles like unusual lighting, unique perspectives, and unusual close-ups. It was the rise of high-gloss photo variations in the late 1970s that took photography to a whole new level.
Pioneered by the likes of TCMA and Star, these ultra high-quality photo variations featured state-of-the-art color reproduction and glossy photo paper stock. The photos almost seemed to come to life they were so sharp and vivid. This trend continued into the 1980s as photography and printing advanced by leaps and bounds each year. By the tail end of the decade, even mainstream brands like Donruss were issuing cards with incredible embossed foil photos and die-cuts.
The 1990s saw photography peak with experimental techniques like action shots, triple exposures, embossed photos, and more. It was also a time when overproduction began to diminish photo quality and rarity. Still, brands like Upper Deck found ways to innovate like their incredible hologram technology that made photos appear to move or change. The 2000s saw photography settle into a more refined style with sharp digital images and creative designs from brands like Topps, Bowman, and Leaf.
Today, photography continues to evolve as new printing techniques like parallel printing allow for incredible details and textures. Digital photography also allows for experimentation through techniques like triple exposures, color shifting, and special effects. While the physical size of photos may have decreased on modern cards, photography quality has never been higher. From those first simple black and white images over a century ago, photography has truly come to define the artistic heritage and collectible nature of baseball cards. It will surely continue to push creative boundaries for many decades to come.
