John A. "Jack" Farrell, 2nd Base, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a baseball card of John A. “Jack” Farrell, the second baseman for the Washington Nationals, created around 1887 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. Baseball cards were not just innocent mementos; they were products of and active participants in the making of American masculinity at the turn of the century. These cards capture the intensity of a pivotal moment in American history, where industrialization and urbanization were rapidly reshaping social norms and the concept of leisure. Farrell stands here, caught in a pose that blends the era’s ideals of ruggedness with emerging celebrity culture. As professional sports began to capture the nation’s attention, athletes like Farrell became icons. Consider how the presentation of Farrell also reflects broader social issues of labor, class, and the construction of identity. These cards, distributed with tobacco products, literally intertwined habits and identities. They speak to the ways in which cultural artifacts like baseball cards are not simply reflections of society, but active participants in shaping our understanding of ourselves and others.