Cunningham, Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This is "Cunningham, Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles" a baseball card produced by Goodwin & Company around the late 19th century, likely using albumen print on card stock. This wasn't art for art's sake; it was pure, unadulterated commercialism. The card's sepia tones and modest size speak to the era's photographic processes and printing capabilities. Albumen printing, while capable of capturing fine detail, required skilled labor and careful processing. Mass-produced baseball cards like these depended on the industrialization of photography, and the division of labor was key to their profitability. Each step, from photography to printing, to distribution with Old Judge Cigarettes, was carefully calibrated to maximize profit. What we have here is ephemera, designed to be collected, traded, and, ultimately, consumed alongside tobacco products. But it's also a fascinating artifact of a time when commerce, celebrity, and craft intersected in unexpected ways. This card challenges our conventional definitions of art and reminds us that the most mundane objects can offer profound insights into the social and economic forces that shape our world.