Bob Caruthers, Pitcher, Brooklyn, from the Goodwin Champion series for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1888

This is Bob Caruthers, Pitcher, Brooklyn, a chromolithograph card created by Goodwin & Company as part of their promotional series for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes. The late 19th century saw baseball emerge as a national pastime, celebrated by the working class as much as it was by the upper crust. The imagery of athletes became intertwined with mass marketing, reflecting the era's evolving consumer culture. Cards like these offer a window into the construction of celebrity and the commodification of leisure. The title, ‘Gypsy Queen Cigarettes’ can’t go unmentioned. The use of the term ‘gypsy’ – a misnomer, to begin with, for the Romani people – is indicative of the rampant exoticism and stereotyping of marginalized communities. This card, therefore, is not just a celebration of athletic prowess, but a stark reminder of the cultural insensitivities prevalent at the time. Looking at this portrait of Caruthers, consider the layers of representation and the subtle ways in which identity and commerce intersect.