Charles F. Whitney, 3rd Base, St. Joseph Clay Eaters, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This baseball card featuring Charles F. Whitney, a third baseman for the St. Joseph Clay Eaters, comes from the Old Judge Cigarettes series, produced by Goodwin & Company. These cards, small and made of thin paper stock, were originally inserted into cigarette packs. The photograph itself is key here, as it was a fairly recent invention at the time, and still a specialist skill. Consider the labor involved: the photographer who made the image, the printing process of the card, and the factory workers who assembled the cigarette packs. Each card was a tiny advertisement, a token in the much larger system of tobacco production and consumption. These cards were incredibly popular and are now highly collectible, demonstrating how even everyday items can gain value and cultural significance over time. By considering the social context of the baseball card, we begin to blur the lines between commerce, craft, and art.