William Robert "Sliding Billy" Hamilton, Left Field, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This photographic print of William Robert "Sliding Billy" Hamilton was produced by Goodwin & Company in 1889, as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. These cards were originally distributed as promotional items, reflecting the growing commercialization of baseball and the advertising industry. The image shows Hamilton in his Kansas City Cowboys uniform, holding a bat and ready for action. Baseball imagery at this time played a role in shaping ideas about masculinity, sportsmanship, and national identity. The institutional relationship between sports and advertising reveals much about the economic forces shaping popular culture in the late 19th century United States. These cards were instrumental in popularizing players and teams. To understand this image, we can research the history of baseball, advertising, and popular culture. Examining the archives of the Goodwin & Company, newspapers, and baseball records would provide insight into the social and institutional contexts of this time. In doing so we can begin to understand the role of images in reflecting and shaping social values.