The history of baseball cards is intertwined with the rise of spectacles and eyeglasses in America. When the modern baseball card was first developed in the late 1800s as a promotional tool for tobacco brands like Allen & Ginter and Goodwin & Company, most people did not need glasses. As the nation became more industrialized and people spent longer hours doing detailed work, nearsightedness and other vision problems increased significantly in the population.
At the same time that baseball was exploding in popularity in the post-Civil War era, eye doctors were gaining a better understanding of vision disorders and more options became available for correcting refractive errors through eyeglasses. Pioneering optometrists like Henry Augustus Rowland, Herman Snellen and Hermann Cohn helped establish standards for measuring visual acuity and prescriptions that made it possible for a wider segment of the public to obtain reasonably priced spectacles through mail order catalogs and local opticians.
As baseball cards grew in collecting popularity in the early 1900s, the need for glasses to properly view and appreciate details on the cards also increased. Many of the early tobacco era cards had intricate illustrations and photographs on small surfaces that required good close-up vision to fully enjoy. Collectors would pore over their cards with magnifying glasses or small loupes to examine minute uniform details and facial features of their favorite players. For those with declining close-up vision, a pair of reading glasses was indispensable.
The rise of mass production eyeglass companies in the early 20th century helped make spectacles affordable and fashionable accessories for most Americans. Brands like American Optical, Bausch & Lomb and Foster Grant advertised in popular magazines of the time alongside the tobacco companies promoting their baseball cards. As more people owned glasses, the hobby of closely examining baseball cards could be enjoyed by both the young and old. Collectors clubs would meet and trade and discuss players while wearing their glasses.
By the 1930s and 1940s, when the golden age of baseball cards took off thanks to the Goudey and Topps companies, the majority of American adults wore glasses on a regular basis. The clearest example of the link between cards and glasses from this era is the “magnifying glass” design that was incorporated into the borders of some Goudey cards from 1933-1941. These cards literally had a magnifying lens imprinted on their surface to aid in viewing details, directly acknowledging the collector’s need for optical assistance.
As baseball cards transitioned to primarily targeting youth audiences in the post-World War II era with designs by Topps, the connection to glasses remained. Many of the earliest young collectors in the 1950s and 60s wore glasses, and brands like Bifocals were advertised alongside the cards. Even today, collecting and appreciating vintage and modern baseball cards remains a popular hobby for many glasses-wearing adults and kids. From the tobacco issues of the 1800s to modern digital sets, the intertwined histories of baseball, collecting and eyewear continue.
