Robert James "Bob" Gilks, Pitcher, Cleveland, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This small photographic print, made around 1888 by Goodwin & Company, was originally inserted into packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. It features Robert James "Bob" Gilks, a pitcher for the Cleveland team. These cards offer a fascinating insight into the commercial culture of the late 19th century United States, where the burgeoning popularity of baseball was being harnessed to sell tobacco products. Note the company's prominent placement on the card; the image of Gilks is secondary to the branding of Old Judge Cigarettes. The mass production and distribution of these cards also speak to broader changes in American society at the time, including the rise of consumer culture and the increasing importance of advertising. The availability of images like this one, made possible by advances in photographic printing, helped to fuel the growing celebrity of athletes like Gilks. To understand this image more fully, we might turn to archives of advertising history and research the growth of the baseball industry. Only then can we fully appreciate the complex social forces that shaped its creation and consumption.