Phillips, 1st Base, Brooklyn, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This late 19th-century baseball card, made by Goodwin & Company, features Brooklyn's first baseman, Phillips, and was a promotional item for Old Judge Cigarettes. The card is a mass-produced object, printed on thin paper stock, reflecting the rise of consumer culture and advertising at the time. The photographic image on the card highlights a moment of action on the baseball field. Although this seems far removed from craft, we can see the hand involved in the construction of the image. To make the photo more distinct, it has been carefully worked over, especially around the player. The creation of these cards was labor-intensive, involving photography, printing, and distribution—a testament to the industrial processes that fueled the era's economy. It also underscores the connection between leisure activities, commercial enterprise, and the working class, who were both consumers of the product and potential subjects of the image. This card reminds us that even seemingly simple images carry complex stories about the world of labor, production, and consumption that surrounded their creation.