August Peterson "Gus" Alberts, Shortstop, Cleveland, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a card from the Old Judge series for Old Judge Cigarettes, featuring August Peterson, made by Goodwin & Company in the late 19th century. These cards were a marketing innovation, using popular figures to promote tobacco sales, linking the burgeoning sport of baseball with a habit that was becoming increasingly widespread. Note that the image is not of Peterson in action, but posed in a studio. Consider the ways this card, made in an era of rising consumerism, reflects the intertwining of leisure, commerce, and celebrity. To understand the context, we can look at the history of baseball, advertising, and the tobacco industry. Old Judge Cigarettes and other brands used these cards to create a sense of aspiration and association. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection allows us to study the ways in which art institutions shape the narrative of cultural history.