Hanton, Center Field, Detroit, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This baseball card featuring Hanton of the Detroit team was made by Goodwin & Company, using photographic and printing techniques. The sepia tones and the card’s thin paper stock are a direct result of the industrial processes employed at the turn of the century. Consider how this image was manufactured: first a photograph taken, likely using a large format camera; then reproduced in quantity as a collectible insert for Old Judge Cigarettes. The card's texture and weight speak to its intended use: a small, durable object meant to be traded and collected. The choice of sepia tones also reflects the era’s aesthetic preferences and available technology, further imbuing the card with a sense of history. This card represents the intersection of sport, advertising, and industrial production. It reminds us that even seemingly simple objects carry complex social and economic histories.