Albert C. "Al" Mays, Pitcher, Cleveland, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This baseball card, featuring Albert C. "Al" Mays, was produced by Goodwin & Company around 1889, as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. The image is printed on paper, a common material transformed by industrial printing processes. Originally included in cigarette packs, these cards reflect a moment when marketing and consumer culture intertwined with leisure. Consider the layers of labor involved: from the cultivation of tobacco, to the industrial production of cigarettes and the printing of these cards. Photography, itself a relatively new technology, was harnessed to create idealized images of athletes, boosting cigarette sales. The sepia tone gives the card a nostalgic feel, but it’s also a reminder of the industrial processes at play. The card is a small token of a much larger system of production and consumption. It urges us to consider how everyday objects can embody complex social and economic relationships, challenging our notions of fine art versus disposable ephemera.