Andrew Bernard "Barney" Gilligan, Catcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This card, made by Goodwin & Company in 1887, features a photograph of Andrew Bernard "Barney" Gilligan, a catcher for the Washington Nationals. It's printed on thin paper stock, a relatively inexpensive material indicative of its mass-produced nature. The sepia tone comes from the photographic printing process typical of the time, connecting this image to the rise of commercial photography and its role in popular culture. What interests me most, though, is how this card was a marketing tool, inserted into packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. This makes it an artifact of early consumer culture. Consider the labor involved: from the photographer, to the printers churning out these cards, to the factory workers producing the cigarettes. All these industries thrived on a growing appetite for leisure and consumer goods. The card itself collapses the distinction between art, advertising, and everyday life. It reminds us that even seemingly simple objects can tell complex stories about their time.