Hiram "Hi" C. Ebright, Catcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is a photographic baseball card of Hiram “Hi” C. Ebright, catcher for the Washington Nationals, produced by Goodwin & Company around 1886, as part of the "Old Judge" series of cigarette cards. These cards offer a fascinating glimpse into the commodification of leisure and celebrity in late 19th-century America. They were a marketing strategy by tobacco companies, linking the pleasure of smoking with the burgeoning popularity of baseball. This also highlights the intertwined relationship between commercial interests and the construction of sporting heroes. The photograph itself, with its posed studio setting, reflects the era's photographic conventions and the controlled image-making of early celebrity culture. To fully understand the significance of this card, we can consult trade publications, business records, and social histories. These help us to contextualize the card within the broader cultural landscape of its time. The meaning of art and popular imagery is always contingent on such broader social and institutional contexts.