Jack Burke, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series (N174) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1888

This photographic print of Jack Burke, a bare-knuckle prizefighter, was made by Goodwin & Company as part of a series to promote Old Judge Cigarettes. These small cards were mass-produced using photographic printing processes, a relatively new technology at the time. Notice how the sepia tone and the texture of the cardstock give the image a warmth, an almost tactile quality. The photo was likely taken in a studio, carefully posed to highlight Burke's physique. These cards weren't about art in the traditional sense, but about the burgeoning culture of celebrity and consumption. They were literally packaged with cigarettes, feeding a desire for collecting and a fascination with fame. The amount of labor that went into capturing the image pales in comparison to the intense industrial efforts to promote it and distribute it as an object of mass consumption. Thinking about this card, it’s important to remember the close relationship between art, commerce, and popular culture.