Sidney Douglas Farrar, 1st Base, Philadelphia, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a printed card made by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes, depicting Sidney Douglas Farrar, the first baseman for Philadelphia. These cards were distributed in cigarette packs, a marketing strategy that captured the growing popularity of baseball in the late 19th century United States. The card represents a fascinating intersection of consumer culture, sports, and early photographic reproduction. Farrar is shown in a posed action shot, a visual code that speaks to the emerging celebrity of athletes and the commercialization of leisure. The card reflects the social conditions of its time, when industrial capitalism, urbanization, and new forms of mass media transformed American society. To fully understand this image, we need to look into the history of baseball, advertising, and photography. By consulting trade publications, business records, and sociological studies, we can better understand the complex social forces that shaped its production and reception. The meaning of art here is contingent on social and institutional context.