Clarkson, Pitcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This card, printed by Goodwin & Company in 1887, commemorates the baseball pitcher Clarkson of Chicago, as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. It's a photolithograph, a commercial printing technique that allowed for mass production of images. Consider the material: a thin piece of cardstock, printed with an image of a baseball player and text advertising cigarettes. The card’s small scale made it easy to include in cigarette packs. This was a clever marketing strategy to promote the product and encourage repeat purchases. The image itself conveys a sense of both the individual and the collective. Clarkson is posed in a classic pitching stance, and the card immortalizes his skill and athleticism. But the card also represents the rise of professional sports, mass media, and consumer culture in the late 19th century. This humble piece of paper is a lens through which we can examine the relationship between sport, commerce, and the making of celebrity in modern America. By considering the means of production and the social context, we gain a deeper understanding of its cultural significance, and the way that it blurs the lines between art, advertising, and everyday life.