Peter W. Webber, Pitcher, Sioux City Corn Huskers, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is Peter W. Webber, Pitcher, of the Sioux City Corn Huskers. It's a card from the Old Judge series, produced in 1889 by Goodwin & Company for their cigarette brand. These cards weren't made as art, but as a marketing tool, a premium included in cigarette packs. The images, like this one of Weber, helped popularize baseball and its players. They document the rise of professional sports as a commercial and cultural phenomenon. Consider the social conditions that enabled the mass production and distribution of these cards. Photography had become more accessible, and printing technologies were advancing. This allowed companies like Goodwin & Company to create and distribute these cards on a massive scale. The cards reflect a growing consumer culture, where leisure activities like baseball were increasingly intertwined with advertising and commercialism. To understand the significance of these cards, we need to consult not just art historical texts, but also archives of advertising history, sports history, and the history of photography and print culture. These resources can provide insight into the complex social and economic forces that shaped their production and consumption.