Phillips, 1st Base, Brooklyn, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This is "Phillips, 1st Base, Brooklyn," a baseball card produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes, dating back to the late 19th century. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs, a marketing strategy that intertwined leisure, tobacco use, and the burgeoning world of professional sports. What strikes me is the card’s ability to capture a moment in time, turning an everyday scene into something collectible. Phillips, a white man, is frozen mid-play, embodying the era's ideals of athleticism. Yet, the card also speaks volumes about exclusion and the unspoken rules of who got to be a hero. Where are the players of color? These cards offered a limited view of society, shaping perceptions and solidifying certain narratives while obscuring others. Looking at this card, I wonder about the stories it doesn't tell. It reminds us that every image is a choice, a carefully constructed representation that reflects and influences the world around it.