Healy, Pitcher, Denver, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This small paper card featuring baseball player Healy was produced around 1888 by Goodwin & Company, as part of a series for Old Judge Cigarettes. Using photography and printing techniques, it reflects the era’s burgeoning mass production and consumer culture. The sepia tone speaks to the period’s photographic processes, while the card's small size allowed it to be included in cigarette packs, thus merging advertising with everyday consumption. This mass-produced image, distributed with a tobacco product, made baseball players accessible to the public, contributing to their celebrity status and popularity. The card itself becomes a commodity, tied to the success of both the baseball player and the cigarette brand. The image's inherent connection to labor – both the player's physical exertion and the factory workers who produced the cards – prompts us to consider the broader economic systems at play. It challenges traditional notions of art by embedding creativity within commercial enterprise, reflecting how deeply art and design are interwoven with the fabric of daily life.