Out in left-field, "Don't drop it, Tommy," from the Terrors of America set (N136) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1888 - 1889

This small card, "Out in left-field, 'Don't drop it, Tommy,'" was made around 1888 by W. Duke Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Honest Long Cut Tobacco. It’s a lithograph, a printmaking technique where the image is drawn on a flat stone or metal plate, and then transferred to paper. Look closely and you can see the subtle layering of colors, creating depth and detail in Tommy’s anxious face. These cards were not high art, they were mass-produced objects, churned out to boost tobacco sales. Their value lay not in artistic expression, but in their ability to capture a moment, a feeling, and most importantly, to sell a product. They speak to the rise of consumer culture, where even leisure activities, like baseball, become tools for marketing. So next time you see a seemingly simple printed image, remember to look beyond the surface. Consider the materials, the process, and the economic forces that brought it into being. That’s where the real story lies.