Holbert, Catcher, Brooklyn Bridegrooms, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This 1888 baseball card, from the "Old Judge" series, features Brooklyn Bridegroom catcher, "Holbert", and was created by Goodwin & Company, New York. The card depicts the athlete catching a ball, with a sepia-toned background, and is a quintessential example of 19th-century trading card art. The card was produced as part of a promotional campaign for Old Judge Cigarettes, demonstrating the evolving relationship between art and commercialism in the late 19th century. This small-scale work is a rare example of a collectible from the early days of baseball card collecting, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.