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

This small card features Hines, right fielder for the St. Louis Whites, and it was produced by Goodwin & Company as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. Made in the late 19th century, this card exemplifies the burgeoning commercialization of baseball and the tobacco industry’s marketing strategies. The image itself, sepia-toned and straightforward, presents Hines in his uniform, ready for the game. This card wasn’t just about baseball; it was about selling a lifestyle, associating a popular sport with the pleasures of smoking. In an era of rapid industrialization and urbanization, baseball offered a nostalgic connection to open spaces. The institutional history of the sport itself—its organization into leagues, its commodification through advertising—mirrors broader trends in American society. To truly understand this card, one might delve into the archives of baseball history, marketing, and consumer culture. The meaning of this seemingly simple image is found within its historical and institutional context.