Robert James "Bob" Gilks, Pitcher, Cleveland, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is "Robert James 'Bob' Gilks, Pitcher, Cleveland," a baseball card produced by Goodwin & Company in 1888 for Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards weren't conceived as art, but as promotional items, revealing much about the social and economic landscape of the late 19th century. The image creates meaning through visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. The US was in the midst of rapid industrialization, and baseball was emerging as a national pastime, a unifying force across class lines. Tobacco companies like Goodwin capitalized on this popularity. Baseball cards became a form of advertising, linking the consumption of cigarettes with the idealized image of the athlete, with the implicit hope that smoking those products would also help consumers achieve similar heights of success. Understanding this image requires historical research. Examining company records, newspaper archives, and social histories of the period can reveal much about the cultural values and economic forces that shaped its production and reception. Art is contingent on social context.