Al Maul, Pitcher, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This small photographic print, dating from the late 1880s, was made by Goodwin & Company as a promotional item for Old Judge Cigarettes. The image is printed on paper, a mass-produced material that lent itself to wide distribution. The photograph pictures Al Maul, a pitcher for Pittsburgh, in his baseball uniform, as a way to connect the popular sport of baseball with the consumption of cigarettes. The card was made through a highly industrialized process, where photography and printing technologies were used to reproduce the image on a mass scale. This was a clever marketing ploy: by including these cards in cigarette packs, the company was hoping to increase its sales. It is interesting how the image captures the intersection of labor and leisure in late 19th-century America. The production of the card itself involved industrial labor, while the image promoted leisure activities like baseball and smoking. By examining the materials and making of this card, we can gain insight into the social and economic dynamics of the time, blurring the lines between commerce, sport, and daily life.