Baseball cards of memories inspired by cards from the early 20th century

In February, I created an imaginary baseball team to showcase the memories my boyfriend and I had shared together over the past year. I took inspiration from the logo for the St. Louis Terriers, a baseball team from the Federal League (1913-1915). I adapted their logo to include the letter “M” instead of “T.” The “M” stands for “Madra”, which is Irish for “dog”. The mascot is a caricature of my dog. She has brought us so much joy together, so naturally, she is the perfect mascot for our relationship.

The cards themselves are all based on cards from 1887-1914. The Library of Congress has an online digital archive that showcases cards from this era. I used this resource as inspiration for each card. My boyfriend loves baseball, and we have spent time together researching and learning about the Federal League and the early days of baseball.

First Photo

Inspired by Helmar Stamp (T332) of Tex Erwin of the Brooklyn Dodgers

Image source: https://www.loc.gov/collections/baseball-cards/?q=%2213163-26%22

This stamp was created by a tobacco company and released in 1911. I replicated the halftone patterns and hand-drawn elements, but I added a modernized banner and baseball to add dimension to the card. I also changed the proportions of the card to match modern baseball card specifications, which allowed me to add my created logo and mascot to the top corners.

Caving

Inspired by Ramsey Cigarettes (T204) baseball card portrait of Roger Bresnahan

Image source: https://www.loc.gov/collections/baseball-cards/?q=%2213163-17%22&sp=3

This card was created by Ramsey Cigarettes in 1909. It combines halftone and stencil. I replicated the stencil pattern through drawing and mirroring the design. I added my logo and mascot at the bottom.