If you’re a fan of vintage baseball cards and you happen to be in New York City anytime soon, you need to make a stop at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There’s an exhibition currently happening that card collectors should have on their radar.
According to The Met’s official website, they’re displaying over 100 pieces from Jefferson R. Burdick’s legendary collection. These cards span from the 1880s all the way through the 1950s, covering some of the most important eras in baseball card history.
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An Exhibition Worth the Trip for Vintage Baseball Cards Enthusiasts
The Met Fifth Avenue location houses this exhibition in Gallery 774A. It’s running through January 20, 2026, so there’s still some time to make a trip into NYC to check it out.
Burdick was an electrician from Syracuse, New York, but that hardly tells the whole story. Between 1947 and his death in 1963, he donated more than 300,000 items to The Met, including over 30,000 baseball cards dating back to the 1880s.
The exhibition features cards produced using various printing techniques, showcasing players from what feels like a completely different world of baseball.
The Jimmy Foxx Goudey Heads-Up Card Is a Standout
One of the cards that immediately caught my eye as I scrolled through what’s on display is the Jimmy Foxx issue from the 1938 Goudey Heads-Up series (R323). This set is iconic in the hobby because it features oversized headshots superimposed on tiny cartoon drawings of players’ bodies.
The 1938 Goudey Heads-Up set consists of 48 cards total, but the set only highlights 24 different players. Cards #241-264 feature plain backgrounds, while cards #265-288 show the same players with added background artwork. Foxx appears on both #249 and #273.
Foxx was still enjoying his prime in 1938. He’d already won back-to-back MVP awards in 1932 and 1933 while playing for the Philadelphia A’s. His 1933 campaign was particularly crazy because he won the Triple Crown after leading the league in batting average (.356), home runs (48), and RBI (163). His 1938 performance with the Boston Red Sox was also eye-popping.
Foxx won his third and final MVP Award that year while slashing .349/.462/.704 with 50 home runs and 175 RBI. Those 50 homers were a Red Sox franchise record until David Ortiz passed him in 2006. The Beast finished his career with a .325 lifetime average and 534 homers. He joined Babe Ruth (who did it in 1929) in 1940 as the second member of the 500-homer club.
Gil Hodges’ 1951 Bowman Card Captures Brooklyn Dodgers History
Another card worth talking about is the Gil Hodges first baseman card from the 1951 Bowman Picture Cards series 5 (R406-5).
According to The Met’s description, the back of this Hodges card references August 31, 1950, when he etched his name in the history books with a four-homer game against the Braves. As if that wasn’t enough, Hodges also added a single to his tally that day, which set a new MLB record for total bases in one game (17).
Hodges was a cornerstone of those great Dodgers teams. He played 16 seasons for Brooklyn/Los Angeles, was part of seven NL pennant winners, and won two World Series titles in 1955 and 1959. He finished his 18-year career with a .273 average, 370 home runs, and 1,274 RBI. He was also the manager of the 1969 New York Mets, who shocked everyone by beating the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
Ted Williams’ 1954 Topps Card Shows the Splendid Splinter at His Peak
Probably one of my favorites from this exhibition is Card Number 1 from the 1954 Topps Regular Issue series (R414-8) featuring Ted Williams. There’s something poetic about Topps choosing Williams to bookend their 1954 set, don’t you think? He appears on both card #1 and card #250.
Williams had already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hitters who ever lived by the time these cards were released. He’s still the last player to ever hit .400 in a season (.406 in 1941), he won two Triple Crowns in 1942 and 1947, and the left-handed slugger also won two MVP Awards (1946 and 1949).
Teddy Ballgame finished his 19-year Hall of Fame career with a .344 lifetime average (11th all-time), 521 homers (tied for 20th all-time), and a .482 on-base percentage, which is still the highest in baseball history.
If you get the chance to see these cards in person at The Met, it’s worth the trip. There’s something special about standing in front of them and seeing the design choices that shaped the hobby we love today.
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