It's interesting that the Americans were using rollers to make their tobacco cards, such as the T206s. In Canada, stone lithography was used to make the first hockey cards. Below is a picture of the C56 cards - the first hockey set issued here in Canada:
And do you guys want to know something crazy? One of the
actual stones that was used to manufacture these cards was discovered here recently! Here it is:
I don't think anyone knows the name of the company that was hired by Imperial Tobacco Ltd. to make these cards, but they were also doing things for other companies as well.