Seery, Left Field, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a baseball card of Seery, left field for Indianapolis, made in 1887 by Goodwin & Company as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. What began as a commercial enterprise to sell cigarettes by including collectible cards, became a cultural phenomenon that reflected and shaped the social values of the time. The image, through its formal elements and cultural references, reveals the intertwined relationship between commerce, sport, and national identity in late 19th-century America. The pose, the uniform, and the very inclusion of his name served to elevate the player to a heroic status. But what happens when the logic of sport is captured and commodified by the cigarette industry? To truly understand this image, we can turn to a wide range of sources: advertisements, newspapers, and even baseball statistics, to fully appreciate the historical context. As historians, we recognize that the meaning of art is contingent on its time.