Kilroy, Pitcher, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Goodwin & Company created this small baseball card in 1888 as part of the Old Judge series for Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards emerged during a time of burgeoning consumer culture and growing fascination with sports. This card, featuring Kilroy, a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, captures the rise of baseball as a national pastime, yet it also encapsulates the complex relationships between commerce, leisure, and identity. As baseball gained popularity, it became entwined with capitalist interests, like cigarette companies, using players' images to sell products. What does it mean for the players, who are mostly working-class men, to have their image commodified? This card presents a romantic vision of the game. In reality, early baseball was fraught with issues of race, class, and labor exploitation. The images reflect an emerging sense of American identity shaped by consumerism and the cult of celebrity.