Philip H. "Buster" Tomney, Shortstop, Louisville Colonels, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is a photograph of Philip H. "Buster" Tomney, a shortstop for the Louisville Colonels, made in 1889 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. In the late 19th century, baseball cards like this were often included in cigarette packs as a marketing tool. This was a time when baseball was rapidly gaining popularity as America's pastime, and the commercialisation of sport through advertising was reflective of growing consumer culture. What does it mean to have the image of an athlete associated with a product like cigarettes? Who benefits? The company, the athlete, the consumer? These are the kinds of questions that help historians understand the social and cultural impact of images like this one. By researching the history of baseball, advertising, and tobacco consumption, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between sport, commerce, and society in late 19th-century America.