The First African American Athlete Featured on a Card
When discussing athletes who broke color barriers, most people immediately think of Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, or Kenny Washington — all of whom made history in the 20th century. In this series of articles, we’re looking back at some athletes and their cards who are less famous but made huge impacts in sports in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Our first article highlights the first African American athlete to appear on a tobacco card in 1880 — just 15 years after the end of the Civil War. Let’s talk about Frank Hart.
Who was Frank Hart?
Frank Hart is considered one of the greatest pedestrians of the 19th century. While the sport of pedestrianism (an early form of competitive racewalking) has faded into history, it can be compared to today’s ultra marathons.
Despite the term “racewalking,” don’t let that fool you into thinking the pace was slow. Hart could run a 100-mile race in under 17 hours, averaging about a 10-minute mile, which is incredibly fast by any standard. For context, 100 miles is longer than the distance between New York City and Philadelphia.
This feat is even more impressive when you consider that in ultra marathons, runners often need to stop for nutrition and gear changes. As an avid ultra runner myself, I can attest that completing a 100-mile race in 17 hours is extraordinary. Most non-professional ultra runners aim for a sub-24-hour finish, and a 17-hour time would usually place someone in the top 5-10 finishers of most local races, even today.
One of Hart’s most famous achievements came in 1879 at Madison Square Garden, where he covered 565 miles in six days. He took home a $21,567 prize — equivalent to roughly $700,000 today. This was at the peak of pedestrianism’s popularity, a time when endurance racing was far more lucrative than it is now.
For comparison, the prestigious Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in Europe awards €20,000 ($21,470) to the winner, while second place receives €12,000. In contrast, top U.S. ultra races like the Western States 100, Badwater 135, and Moab 240 offer no prize money to their champions.
Throughout his career, Hart faced numerous challenges. Spectators would throw pepper in his face, he was often heckled, and there were rumors he had been poisoned at least once. Despite this adversity, Hart competed in over 100 ultra marathons, earning more than $100,000 in prize money — equivalent to about $3,000,000 today.
After retiring from racing, Hart transitioned to baseball, playing for Negro League teams in Chicago and St. Louis. Unfortunately, due to poor record keeping, there’s no way to determine how successful he was as a player.
Frank Hart Cards
Frank Hart has a limited number of tobacco cards. However, it’s important to mention that he does have CDVs and Cabinet cards, though proper documentation is scarce. As a result, these items often face challenges when being authenticated by grading companies.
One might assume that pedestrianism wasn’t popular enough to justify the production of cards, but that wasn’t the case. The six-day running events regularly attracted crowds of over 10,000 spectators, and the prizes were sometimes larger than a baseball player’s annual salary. For instance, consider King Kelly, who gained fame for his $10,000 contract after the 1886 season. This was still less than half of what Frank Hart made at Madison Square Garden during his famous 565-mile race.
Pedestrians were also featured in some of the most prominent brands of the era. Both Goodwin Champs and Allen & Ginter showcased many of the top runners of the time. This included Patrick Fitzgerald, who competed against Hart in many events. However, Hart was notably excluded from these sets.
1880 N344 Between the Acts & Bravo Athletes
The above Between the Acts & Bravo Athletes entry, issued in 1880, is widely considered to be the first card to feature an African American Athlete. It was part of a subset that featured twelve oarsmen and pedestrian athletes.
Although this card brand may not be widely recognized by tobacco card collectors today, Between the Acts & Bravo (also known as Hall’s) holds a significant place in The Hobby’s history as one of the earliest producers of tobacco cards. Their series, featuring actors and actresses, debuted around 1878.
While he may not be a household name today, Frank Hart broke major ground with this inclusion, and he remains a major athlete in American history.
