Wise, Shortstop, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Made by Goodwin & Company, around 1887, this small card from the Old Judge Cigarettes series captures a baseball player named Wise of Boston. The sepia tones and rigid pose give it a formal, almost classical feel, belying its commercial purpose. Note how the composition is structured around contrasting horizontals and verticals: the horizontal text at the top and bottom framing the vertical stance of Wise, who holds a bat at his side. This creates a balanced, almost architectural framework. The framing device, typical of advertising ephemera, uses semiotic codes to speak about value and aspiration. "Old Judge Cigarettes" curves above him like a halo and underscores the cultural values of the era, linking sports, celebrity, and consumerism. The rigid composition and sepia tones imbue a sense of timelessness, while also pointing to how commercial images shape cultural memory. Consider how these seemingly simple formal choices construct a narrative, not just about baseball, but about the evolving landscape of American identity and consumer culture.