Morrell, 1st Base and Manager, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This baseball card was made by Goodwin & Company around 1887, using photography and printing. While these processes are now considered ordinary, they were cutting-edge at the time, and this little card speaks volumes about labor, leisure and commodity culture at the turn of the century. Think of it: someone had to pose for the picture, which was then reproduced and printed on thin cardstock. This was all in service of selling Old Judge Cigarettes. Baseball cards were included in cigarette packs as a way to entice consumers, creating a novel connection between sport and the ritual of smoking. The text on the card tells us a lot, too: not only Morrell's name, but also his position and team. The details mattered, because the value of the card to a collector was directly related to the player’s popularity. This wasn't just about baseball or tobacco, but also about the burgeoning economy of image production, mass media, and advertising, a world that we still inhabit today.