Charles Thomas "Charlie" Reilly, 3rd Base, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888 - 1889

This vintage baseball card, made by Goodwin & Company around 1888, features Charles Thomas "Charlie" Reilly, the third baseman for the St. Paul Apostles. These cards were originally included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes, reflecting a time when advertising and popular culture were deeply intertwined. Consider the era: a burgeoning industrial age, the height of the "Gilded Age," with stark class divisions and a rapidly changing social landscape. Baseball, then as now, offered a space for shared identity. What strikes me about this image is its intimacy; we are close to Reilly. His gaze is focused, his body poised for action. Yet, the card also reminds us of the commercialization of sport. Reilly’s image is being used to sell cigarettes, embedding him in a network of consumption and desire.