Patrick J. Murphy, Catcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This photographic print of Patrick J. Murphy, a baseball catcher for New York, was made around 1887 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. The sepia-toned image, printed on paper, shows Murphy in action, captured mid-throw. The photographic process itself speaks to an era of mass production and consumption. Printed in multiples, these cards were distributed with cigarette packs. This in turn suggests a new mode of image consumption that was tied to commerce and leisure. The image would have been made using the collodian process, and the consistency of the sepia tone is a testament to the industrialization of photography at the time. What is especially significant is the mass production and circulation, a sign of the new visibility of professional athletes as public figures, and the rising popularity of baseball as a form of mass entertainment. This photo isn’t just an artwork, it’s a token within a burgeoning capitalist system.