C.H. Todd, from The World's Racers series (N32) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This small card was made in the late 19th century, by the cigarette company Allen & Ginter, using chromolithography - a process that relies on transferring an image from stone to paper using oil-based inks. Notice the flat areas of color and the slight misregistration in the printing. This was mass production, pure and simple, intended to be collected and traded. The card features C.H. Todd, a famous jockey, making it a collectible that circulated widely. The image is a direct product of the industrial revolution, one that brings together advertising, sports, and the relatively new phenomenon of celebrity. The card shows an accomplished athlete, but the picture itself is where the real action is; it is a token within a much larger system of marketing and commerce.