Harry "Doc" Sage and Bill Van Dyke, Des Moines Prohibitionists, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This albumen silver print, made in 1888 by Goodwin & Company, was once distributed as a promotional item in Old Judge Cigarettes. At just a few inches in size, these cards exemplify the rise of mass media and consumer culture. Consider the photographic process itself. It’s not exactly fine art, but a commercial enterprise, a means to an end. The sepia tone, the stiff poses, all speak to a time when photography was still a relatively new technology, but also a burgeoning industry. It's fascinating how this image was made to be reproduced, handled, and even discarded as part of a larger system of consumption. Even the choice of subject matter – baseball players – reflects a growing interest in leisure and entertainment among the working class. Here we see how materials, making, and context all intertwine, challenging any strict separation between art and commerce.