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RUNKEL'S COCOA & CHOCOLATE TRADE CARD, WOMEN PLAYING BASKETBALL (U.S.A.)
Louis and Herman Runkel left New Orleans and came to New York as teenagers, where they began making chocolate as the “Runkel Brothers” in the early 1870s. They became known for their specialty chocolate bars and eventually produced cocoa powder products. Fully embracing the Victorian-era craze for advertising trade cards, the company made full creative use of the medium in the 1880s and 1890s. By the turn of the century, they had shortened their brand name to simply “Runkel’s” and this was also reflected on their trade cards.
This card is extremely rare, I’ve ever seen a couple other examples from the series. I have seen a series of Runkel’s aviator cards from 1900s and an example of a baseball card that were both a similar size, but not the same look or design.
Basketball was introduced into New York City schools in the 1890s. It was promoted not just as physical training, but as a moral exercise, whereby students could be taught the value of teamwork and self-sacrifice. By 1900, women’s school leagues and tournaments had formed and paralleled men’s basketball perhaps uniquely in the history of sport.
Dating the card:
It appears many of the Runkel cards showcased their new packaging, and the cocoa tin on this example features a tin with the recently enacted Food & Drug Act of 1906 label that became a requirement on food packaging in June of 1906. It also appears that Runkel’s changed the design of their “k” in their name around 1910, where the bottom tails of the “k” extended lower to lineup with the elongated “R”. The tin featured on the card still has the shorter “k”.
The next hint is the basketball hoop and net on the women’s court. This particular metal rim basket was introduced in 1894 and was the standard used until around 1906, when baskets with pierced open bottoms became the norm. I would assume that there was a period following 1906 that schools continued to use a closed-bottom net but would think that most gymnasiums and schools would adopt the new standard within a few years’ time. This leads me to believe that this card was likely produced somewhere between 1906 and 1909, although it is nearly impossible to determine exactly.
It is a stunning example with great design, color and imagery. The card itself is on rather thick cardstock and measures 2.5” x 5”
1906-1909
