Sports and advertising have gone hand in hand for centuries. Companies of all types have aligned themselves with different sports teams to promote their products. Look no further than these lacrosse trading cards from 1912 for proof!

The other day, we stumbled across a product even we hadn’t known about. Turns out that in the early 1910s, Imperial Tobacco Canada released a series of cigarette cards featuring the premiere lacrosse players of the day. And yes, I said Imperial Tobacco.

Featuring names like Newsy Lalonde, Mickey Ions, and Clint Benedict, these vintage collectibles represent a bygone era, not just in Canadian Lacrosse, but in sports marketing in general. These days, we’d never see a sponsor like this, but back then, it wasn’t out of place for a tobacco company to sponsor athletes.

Recently, a newly ignited interest in cards of the type has led to their resurgence on different online shopping sites. Each black and white card includes an image of the player, their name, and their team, with New Westminster, Ottawa, and Tecumseh being featured among others. Pictured below is a selection of the 50 card set of 1912 C61 Imperial Tobacco Black and White Lacrosse Cards.

Those interested in vintage collectibles, as well as lacrosse memorabilia, could appreciate this slice of history. It goes without saying that Canada has a deep, storied history with the sport of lacrosse, and items like these help flesh out our views of the sport during the turn of the century. Luckily, with Upper Deck releasing its own line of MLL cards, the production and collection of lacrosse trading cards is a tradition that still lives on to this day.