William "California" Brown, Catcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This small card was produced by Goodwin & Company around 1887, part of a series of baseball player portraits used to sell Old Judge Cigarettes. Here we see William “California” Brown, a catcher for the New York Metropolitans. Think about the cultural moment: baseball was rapidly professionalizing, and commercial strategies were vital to the sport's expansion. These cards weren't just advertisements; they were also early forms of fan engagement. The players, like Brown, became recognizable figures, their images circulated and collected, contributing to a sense of national identity tied to sport. These cards are artifacts of a time when the lines between advertising, sport, and celebrity were being newly drawn. Note the word Boyle inscribed above the players name. The image evokes a sense of nostalgia, but it also reminds us that even seemingly innocent memorabilia can be deeply embedded in commercial and cultural forces. It is a reminder of how identities are constructed and marketed, then and now.