William "California" Brown, Catcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is an Old Judge Cigarettes trading card of William "California" Brown, a catcher for New York, produced by Goodwin & Company around 1887. The sepia tone flattens the image, turning the figure into a study of line and form. Note how the vertical stripes of Brown's uniform, interrupted by the horizontal line of his belt, create a grid-like structure. The curve of the "Old Judge Cigarettes" banner at the top right softens this rigid geometry. The composition divides the figure into distinct parts, segmenting the body almost like a Cubist fragmentation. We can see how the commercial nature of the card paradoxically highlights the constructed nature of identity itself. Brown is presented not as a fully rounded individual, but as a collection of surfaces and textures, a signifier of both athletic prowess and commodity culture. This tension, between representation and artifice, continues to resonate with us today.