William Frederick "Bill" Krieg, Catcher, Minneapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Goodwin & Company produced this baseball card of William Frederick "Bill" Krieg around 1888 as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. Its sepia tones and small scale give it an intimate feel. Krieg, the catcher for Minneapolis, is caught mid-action, poised to catch a ball. The composition of the image is carefully constructed to draw our attention to the dynamic pose of the baseball player, but also to the carefully arranged typography around the baseball player's image. The curve of his body is echoed by the arched text above and below his image, creating a unified visual field. The texture of the card is smooth, yet it carries the marks and imperfections of its age. The text surrounding Krieg is more than just branding; it situates him within a cultural and economic context, linking athletic prowess to the consumption of tobacco. As a cultural artifact, the card highlights how identities and pastimes were shaped by commercial forces.