Bill Kuehne, 3rd Base, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card was produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes in 1888, and features Bill Kuehne, a third baseman for Pittsburgh. It’s an albumen silver print, a photographic process popular in the late 19th century, which gives the image its distinctive sepia tone. What’s interesting here is the intersection of commerce, celebrity, and leisure. The late 1880s saw the rise of both professional baseball and mass-produced consumer goods. Tobacco companies like Goodwin recognized the marketing potential of associating their products with popular athletes. These cards, inserted into cigarette packs, weren't just about selling tobacco; they were about selling a lifestyle, linking the pleasure of smoking with the excitement of baseball. Understanding this image requires us to consider not just the individual athlete, but also the broader social and economic forces at play in America at the time. We might consult business records, sports journalism, and advertising archives to better grasp its full significance.