The Baseball Souvenir album pictured here was issued by Erwin-Nadal (1910) as a supplement for the Photo Series cards found in packs of Contentnea Cigarettes. The album contained 211 player photos for all eighteen teams issued by Contentnea. Each player’s pose is reproduced as it appears on his card. (B. E. Thompson is also included for a total of 212 images.) One acquired the album by presenting a card of B. E. Thompson to a cigarette retailer.

Although there is no clear date for when it was issued, there are several clues that suggest the album was probably issued after the mid point of the 1910 season.   Some of the depicted players had changed teams by the middle of the season. Additionally, twelve player cards issued by Contentnea were not shown in the album. Further, the Introduction to the album is written in the past tense suggesting that smokers who  saved  cards had already enjoyed watching some of the players perform their diamond magic: “During the season of 1910 these teams have provided very superior sport for all lovers of the national pastime, many individuals playing like `big-leaguers.'”

The most obvious clue is the Portsmouth team. It is listed in the album as the Portsmouth-Petersburg Team, a clear indication that the album appeared after July 1, the day the Virginia League moved the Portsmouth team to Petersburg, VA.

Click a page thumbnail to open the album full-screen.