Origin of t206 art?
 

I am sure this is common knowledge for some, but I realized I don’t know the history of the art that was chosen for the images on the t206 cards. in my opinion they are some of the more beautiful cards ever made and pieces of art in their own right, so I’m curious how they were designed.

Many of them were obviously based off of photos, but were specific artists commissioned to do the artwork? Was it a group of specific artists that painted based on the photos and portraits available? Did each cigarette company have their own artists? I would love to get more info on the backstory.

Thanks!

Here's some information on the images that were used.

https://www.t206resource.com/The%20Images.html

https://www.t206resource.com/Photos%20Gallery.html

My favorite...

Some of the original photos I own...

Michael thanks for posting that photo. It is so important to T206. I am grateful for all of the T206 artwork that was made from it but am still waiting for someone to discover the two Hall of Fame subjects that were missed — Matty (Portrait With Cap) and Robinson!

(And of course a Marquard port with cap would be cool but there is already a 350-only port and a 460-only action shot).

One of the items I have been able to see in person at the DPL Ernie Harwell Collection. Couldn’t resist putting this one on my list for the first time I was there. Just wish my photos from that specific trip didn’t get lost on an older computer.

Thank you all! This is the kind of cool history I was hoping to hear about

+1. Great photos!
.

The artists almost certainly worked with the lithographic companies and not the tobacco firms. The lithographers did employ staff artists who handled some other commissions referenced in documents of the period. I would think it probable many of the T card projects were handled by the art department.

Some at least were done by outside artists too. The only T project set we know the artist of (I think) is T30. The art and the text on the backs are credited to Albert Operti, an artist and arctic explorer himself who accompanied Pearry on one his expeditions. The other half of the set, T118, he wrote the backs for but his name isn’t included on the art.


I would suspect T30 credits Operti specifically because he wasn’t a staff artist for the lithographers. T206 was probably done by staff artists.

LOL, funny. I just showed my wife and daughter some cards I got back from SGC, and my wife was disturbed by the following card. Thinks the arm angle with the ball in hand is impossible. Looks like he has a hand growing out of his back. Would love to show her the photo reference. :D

Showed it to my daughter, who's actually a working artist, and she saw nothing wrong with it. ;)

I like it when folks point out funny things about cards I have not noticed before. That second arm does appear to be coming out of McGinnity's back! But I think it is a legitimate perspective...the Iron Man must have had a twisty pitching motion.

Brian

Deerfoot Milan
 

J. Clyde "Deerfoot" Milan. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1907-1922. 2,100 hits and 495 stolen bases in 16 MLB seasons. 1912 and 1913 AL stolen base leader, including a then record 88 in 1912. His career OBP was .353. Managed the Washington Senators in 1922. His best season was probably 1911 for Washington as he posted a .395 OBP with 58 stolen bases and 109 runs scored in 705 plate appearances.

https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1649182790
https://www.net54baseball.com/attach...1&d=1649182799

Funny thing was, I didn't even think twice about it when I saw it. Wife looked at it and immediately said "I don't like that! I don't like that at all!"

:D

I spent the next 5 minutes showing her pitching motions where it might be possible, and she spent the next 5 minutes rolling her eyes at me as hard as she possibly could.

Here's my RPPC for Roy Ellam (the C on his hat is for Connorsville).

Amazing... I had never seen this (and now, everyone I know will have to see it because I MUST SHARE THIS!)

So cool!!!

The hitting stance cards in particular always seemed so strange/unrealistic that I thought those might have been the exception. so cool to see those were based off of photographs as well. Thanks!

My wife just had a great suggestion as a complement to my very modest display of T-206’s in my HOF display - post a print of the original photo/image behind each card in my collection

Any chance anyone here has images of the original photos for these cards?

Thx for any leads!

Jeff

That's funny about the McGinnity. I never noticed that before.

Here is a piece of old letterhead from the ALC I picked up to go with my T3 set. Before I saw it, the thought never even occurred to me that women could very well have been responsible for the art on the cards we collect. I always just pictured some guy in suspenders at a drawing table smoking a Piedmont :)