James M. "Jim" Burns, Center Field, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Goodwin & Company produced this photographic print of James M. "Jim" Burns in 1889 as part of the "Old Judge" series for Old Judge Cigarettes. The image is more than just a portrait of an athlete; it's a window into the burgeoning commercialization of leisure and the cult of celebrity in late 19th-century America. Mass-produced baseball cards like this one were not high art but they reflected the expanding consumer culture and the rise of baseball as a national pastime. Consider the connection to the tobacco industry. Cigarettes were becoming increasingly popular, and companies like Goodwin & Co. sought new ways to market their products. Baseball cards were an ingenious strategy to appeal to a wide audience. The photograph itself, with its carefully posed subject, embodies the era’s aesthetic preferences. To fully understand the image, we can delve into the history of baseball, advertising, and photography in the late 19th century. This reveals the complex interplay between commerce, sport, and the visual arts.