Gil Hatfield, 3rd Base, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Gil Hatfield, 3rd Base, New York, from the Old Judge series, was made around 1888 by Goodwin & Company, using a photographic process and paper. As a small card originally packaged with Old Judge Cigarettes, this piece exemplifies the intersection of commerce, craft, and popular culture. The sepia-toned photograph, carefully printed on thin paper, shows Hatfield in his baseball uniform, ready to swing. The image’s inherent qualities – its soft focus, its tangible texture – speak to the era's photographic techniques and its connection to mass production. These cards were not conceived as high art but mass-produced collectibles, meant to be traded and consumed. Understanding this context reveals how everyday objects can encapsulate significant social and cultural meaning. It challenges our traditional notions of art, prompting us to consider the labor, politics, and consumption involved in even the smallest of artifacts.