Thomas "Tom" Tarlton Brown, Center Field, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1887

This baseball card of Thomas “Tom” Tarlton Brown, who played center field for Pittsburgh, was produced around 1887 by Goodwin & Company, purveyors of Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes. These cards were printed using a photomechanical process called a ‘halftone’, which allowed continuous tone photographs to be reproduced in mass. The image is broken down into tiny dots of varying sizes, creating the illusion of a continuous tone image. It’s an inherently industrial process, allowing for the relatively cheap mass production of images, fueling popular interest in sports. Consider the complex relationship between labor, leisure, and commerce evident here. Brown’s athleticism is celebrated, and his image is used to sell cigarettes, a highly addictive product with its own network of production and labor that often goes unseen. This convergence reflects the rapidly changing social and economic landscape of the late 19th century. This small card encapsulates the rise of consumer culture and professional sports, blurring the lines between fandom, celebrity, and commerce.