Stephen Arnold Douglas "Steve" Behel, New York Metropolitans, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This card, made by Goodwin & Company around the late 19th century, features Stephen Arnold Douglas "Steve" Behel of the New York Metropolitans, and was included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. Printed on paper using photographic and lithographic processes, the card captures Behel in sepia tones. What's fascinating is how this object embodies the burgeoning commercial culture of the time. The tobacco industry used baseball cards as a marketing strategy, intertwining leisure with consumption. The card's small size speaks to its function as a collectible, mass-produced item, reflective of industrial capitalism. Its existence depended on factory production, cheap labor, and a growing consumer base. The image of Behel is, in a sense, a commodity, traded and consumed along with the cigarettes. Considering the material and context of this card broadens our understanding of art, connecting it to the social and economic forces that shaped its creation and distribution.