John L. Sullivan, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series (N174) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1888

This is a trade card from the “Celebrities and Prizefighters” series produced by Goodwin & Company between 1887 and 1888. It features John L. Sullivan, the first heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The card is a black-and-white photograph of Sullivan in a boxing stance, printed in the style of a typical "cabinet card". It was part of a larger series of cards that were distributed with Old Judge cigarettes. The trade card is a good example of early 20th-century commercial printing and the use of celebrity endorsements in advertising. The card is currently part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.