Darby O'Brien, Left Field, Brooklyn Bridegrooms, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This sepia-toned baseball card was created by Goodwin & Company around 1888 as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. The photograph features Darby O'Brien, a left fielder for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Note how the composition is structured by O'Brien’s body as a vertical axis. The image is balanced by the horizontal line of the baseball bat, reinforcing a structured sense of space. The limited tonal range emphasizes shape and form. The shallow depth of field is less about realism, and more about creating a graphic representation, with a clear distinction between the figure and the backdrop. The card's function as a commercial object intersects with its cultural significance as an early example of sports memorabilia. The formal elements work together to immortalize O’Brien as a figure while serving as a signifier of a burgeoning consumer culture.