Williamson, Shortstop, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a photographic print of Williamson, a shortstop for Chicago, made in 1887 by Goodwin & Company of New York. It was part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series, offering baseball cards as a marketing tool. The image encapsulates the burgeoning commercialization of leisure and sport in late 19th-century America. The subject, posed formally with arms crossed and a bat at his side, projects an image of strength. Printed on a small card, it circulated widely, blurring the lines between athletics, advertising, and popular culture. The 'Old Judge Cigarettes' branding is crucial here; it speaks to the ways in which companies sought to associate themselves with the heroic image of athletes to promote their products. The image is an intriguing archive of social and institutional history, a study of how the sports and tobacco industries intertwined, and how celebrity culture was manufactured. To fully understand its significance, one must delve into the business records of Goodwin & Company and explore the evolution of baseball as a national pastime, tracing the complex economic forces shaping American culture.