Glasscock, Shortstop, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This photograph of Glasscock, shortstop for Indianapolis, was made in 1888 by Goodwin & Company, for Old Judge Cigarettes. Produced in vast quantities, these cards were printed using albumen silver, a technique that yields a warm, sepia tone from a collodion negative on a glass plate. The image, a carefully posed studio shot, connects to a world of mass production and consumption. Goodwin & Company were less interested in high art, and more in promoting an addictive substance, as well as America’s favorite sport. Consider the labor required to produce these cards, from manufacturing the paper, and the harvesting of tobacco, to the intensive work of printing and distribution. The image thus invites us to consider the intersection of sport, commerce, and labor at the turn of the century. Appreciating the materiality and context of this photograph allows us to see beyond its surface representation, and consider the larger social and economic forces at play in its creation and circulation.