Charles E. "Charlie" Hoover, Catcher, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This small photographic print of Charles E. "Charlie" Hoover, a catcher for the Kansas City Cowboys, was made by Goodwin & Company in 1888 as a promotional item for Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs, capitalizing on baseball's burgeoning popularity to promote tobacco consumption. It’s a fascinating convergence of leisure, commerce, and burgeoning consumer culture. Hoover's image, clad in his team uniform, embodies the idealized image of the American athlete, but its distribution was directly linked to a product with known health risks. The card itself is a product of its time, reflecting the rise of mass media and advertising, and we need to understand how these institutions intersect to fully grasp its meaning. Careful examination of archives and advertising history can help us understand the social forces that shaped its creation and reception.