Google image results led me to stumble onto the website for Gasoline Alley Antiques. I was fascinated by the listing for water sports collectibles, specifically the swimming and diving trading cards. I’ve included pictures of a couple of the cards in this post, along with the latest swimming trading card to get any attention.

When I think of swimming collectibles, trading cards are definitely not on my list – but it looks like aquatic stars were much more prominent in trading cards in the earlier half of the 20th Century.

The earliest card listed from Gasoline Alley is of C. M. Daniels circa 1910. His card was included in the first series of Tobacco Cards from Hassan Cigarettes. According to Wikipedia, Charles Meldrum Daniels won 5 gold medals for swimming between 1904 and 1908. Born in Dayton, Ohio in 1885, Daniels was also a national junior rifle champion and the squash champion of the New York Athletic Club, and later a top-ranked amateur golfer. Daniels was also featured in the Mecca Cigarettes “Champion Athlete and Prize Fighters Series” of trading cards.

Next, professional diving star Charlie Diehl appeared as a trading card cut-out on a 1952 Wheaties Cereal box. Diehl worked as a show diver for Billy Rose’s Aquacade at the New York World’s Fair circa 1940 along with headlining star Johnny Weissmuller.

The last card I investigated was the most recent swimming trading card to get media attention: The 2004 Michael Phelps