Bill George, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This small card, part of the Old Judge series, was made for Old Judge Cigarettes around the turn of the century. It features Bill George, a pitcher for New York. The image is printed on paper, likely using photogravure, a process that allowed for mass production. The card's material and making are tied to a new form of capitalism. Cigarette companies like Old Judge sought to build brand loyalty, and what better way than to capitalize on America’s favorite pastime? The cards were inserted into cigarette packs, incentivizing repeated purchases. This speaks to the intense labor involved in producing these cards on a mass scale, both in the factory and in the fields where the tobacco was grown. What might seem like a simple piece of ephemera is really a window onto a complex network of production, consumption, and promotion. It is an artifact of a rapidly changing world.