1888 Old Fashion Negro Subjects Set and Checklist (N682/N692)
‘It’s In The Details’
Title | Old Fashion Negro Subjects (N682/N692) |
Year | c. 1888 |
Size | 2 3/8″ x 4″ |
Images | Sepia |
Type | 19th Century Tobacco |
Number in Set |
16 (?) |
1888 Old Fashion Negro Subjects Overview
These cards are similar to other 19th Century tobacco cards in their appearance. The subjects feature African Americans in various activities. More specifically, it is seen as a parallel to the more popular N157 Sunny South set.
The primary difference between the cards seems to be the sponsor name. While the N157 cards can be found with four sponsor names (Duke Honest Long Cut, Gail & Ax Bob Link Long Cut, Kimball Sweet Lavender, and Old Gold), these cards were issued with the Old Fashion Fine Cut name.
While the cards are mostly a non-sports series, a handful of sports cards can be found in it. One card features two boys wrestling and a few picture boys in boxing scenes. The subjects are unnamed.
One interesting thing is that a few of the cards have very slight pose variations. This, of course, is nothing new to 19th Century cards. As I’ve covered with the N48 and N508 women’s baseball series’, that was something seen quite heavily in those sets.
Classification Mysteries
These cards were originally cataloged as N682 in Jefferson Burdick’s American Catalog. However, that categorization was either changed by him in a later edition or altered (either intentionally or in error) by later sources as, today, it is commonly referred to as N692.
1888 Old Fashion Negro Subjects Checklist
Presented here is the checklist for the N157 series. As the images are the same, it is assumed that the checklists would be the same.
- Boy (alone) in Boxing Stance
- Boys Boxing with Man in Middle
- Boys playing Marbles
- Boy with Watermelon (Close-up)
- Boy with Watermelon (Full body)
- Boys Wrestling
- Man with Cigar (Cigar in hand)
- Man with Cigar (Cigar in mouth)
- Man with Fishing Pole (Sitting)
- Man with Fishing Pole (Standing)
- Man with Hat
- Man Holding Woman
- Man Sitting with Arms Behind Head
- Woman in Window with Sleeping Man (Hands up)
- Woman in Window with Sleeping Man (One hand down)
- Young Child Standing with Window
Pictures of the cards can be seen here.
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