Allen, Shortstop, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is Allen, Shortstop, Pittsburgh, a photograph printed on a card made by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes in 1889. Tobacco companies were among the first to recognize the marketing potential of celebrity endorsements. Here, a baseball player is presented as a popular hero. The image offers insight into the cultural values of the time: the rise of professional sports, the celebration of athleticism, and the connection between smoking and masculinity. The card would have been included in cigarette packs, incentivizing consumers and building brand loyalty. Understanding the appeal of this image requires that we consider institutional contexts. The rise of professional sports can be connected to the emergence of mass media and the growth of consumer culture in the late 19th century. By consulting archives, newspapers, and marketing materials, we can better understand the social and economic forces that shaped the production and consumption of images like this one.