Sporting Girls

*Hamilton King Girls*

Yachting Girl

Skating Girl

Tennis Girl

Light Opera Dancer

Basket Ball Girl

Polo Girl

Rowing Girl

Ping Pong Girl

Palm Beach Girl

Golf Girl

Reina The Circus Queen

"Cigarette or tobacco cards began in the mid-19th century as premiums, enclosed in product packaging. They were usually issued in numbered series of twenty-five, fifty, or larger runs to be collected, spurring subsequent purchases of the same brand. Typically, these small cards feature illustrations on one side with related information and advertising text on the other. [..] The height of cigarette card popularity occurred in the early decades of the 20th century, when tobacco companies around the world issued card sets in an encyclopedic range of subjects.
{from the NYPL Cigarette Card Collection || see more links from W}

Hamilton King (1871-1952) was a commercial artist, active from about 1890 in New York state. He produced illustrations and etchings for music sheet covers, postcards, magazines and calendars and was best known for his sketches of pretty ladies.

King's renown was established with the release of cigarette card prints between 1902 and 1913 that became known as 'Hamilton King Girls'. The promotional cards for Turkish Trophies and Helmar cigarettes consisted of five or six individual sets: sketches of women and those drawn by Hamilton King himself, bathing girls, women in period costumes, flag girls of the nations and sporting girls. King had to employ other illustrators to keep up with the demand and the style was copied by his competitors.

"The Hamilton King Award, created in 1965 by Mrs. Hamilton King in memory of her husband through a bequest, is presented annually for the best illustration in the Annual Exhibition executed by a member of the Society [of Illustrators]. One of the industry’s most prestigious awards, the selection is made by former recipients of this award and may be won only once."

• The majority of the images above were sourced from the Metropolitan Museum. The last few come from expired auction sales.
• American Art Archives has a number of other images of the 'Hamilton King Girls', including examples used in advertisements and magazine covers.
• The illustration style turns up in such diverse places as cow-hide prints and pillow slips.
• Previous posts on costumes.