James Evans "Grasshopper Jim" Whitney, Pitcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a baseball card of James Evans "Grasshopper Jim" Whitney, Pitcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series made in 1887 for Old Judge Cigarettes by Goodwin & Company. Captured in sepia tones, the photograph presents a full-length portrait of Whitney. The composition is structured by the verticality of his figure against a neutral backdrop, emphasizing his poised stance. Whitney is centered in the frame, with his hands held in front of his chest in a gesture that is ambiguous - either preparing to pitch or in a moment of quiet anticipation. The formal presentation of Whitney, framed and offered as part of a commercial product, blurs the lines between individual athlete and commodity. The card, with its text and logo, acts as a semiotic device encoding the values of sport, celebrity, and consumer culture of the time. This small card signifies how meaning is constructed through image and text.