Peter Jay "Pete" Sweeny, 3rd Base, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is a photographic baseball card of Peter Jay "Pete" Sweeny, made in the United States by Goodwin & Company around 1889 as part of their Old Judge Cigarettes series. These cards were originally distributed as promotional items within cigarette packs, reflecting the growing popularity of both baseball and tobacco consumption in late 19th-century America. The image creates meaning by associating Sweeny's athletic prowess with the Old Judge brand, subtly encouraging consumers to purchase their product. We can consider the cultural values placed on athleticism and celebrity at the time. Such objects can tell us about the commercialization of leisure and the rise of consumer culture in the Gilded Age. To fully understand this artwork, one might research the history of baseball, advertising, and tobacco industries in the United States during this period, using trade publications, census data, and business records. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.