Townsend, Catcher, Philadelphia Athletics, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This black and white photograph depicts a baseball player in uniform holding a glove. The image is part of the "Old Judge" series of trading cards commissioned by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge cigarettes. The card was printed in 1888, and features Townsend, a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. The card, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a small and simple work measuring only 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches. The card is a good example of late 19th-century baseball card design, and is a valuable artifact for collectors and historians of the sport.