Jocko Milligan, Catcher, St. Louis Browns, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This photographic print of Jocko Milligan, catcher for the St. Louis Browns, was produced by Goodwin & Company as part of the "Old Judge" series of baseball cards, distributed with cigarettes. These cards emerged during a transformative period in American sport and society, in the late 19th century. Consider the cultural landscape of the time: baseball was becoming "America’s pastime," celebrated as a symbol of national identity and unity in a rapidly industrializing nation. Yet, this romanticized view often obscured deeper social inequalities. The sport, like the country, was largely segregated, excluding African American players and reinforcing racial hierarchies. The image of Milligan, a white athlete, promoted by a tobacco company, speaks to the intertwined histories of commerce, leisure, and exclusion. These cards contributed to the construction of idealized images of masculinity and athleticism, shaping perceptions of who belonged in the American narrative. What stories remain untold in this neat little picture?