Hines, Right Field, St. Louis Whites, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a card from the Old Judge series of baseball cards, created by Goodwin & Company in 1888. It features a portrait of “H Hines” the right fielder for the St. Louis Whites. The card is a black and white photograph of the player in uniform, and shows him standing with a bat held against his shoulder. These cards were created for the “Old Judge” brand of cigarettes, and given away as part of a promotion. They are among the first baseball cards ever produced, and are a popular item with collectors. The card, currently held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a small piece of cardboard, measuring 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches. The card design was typical of the time period, featuring simple black and white photography with bold text at the bottom indicating the player and the brand name.