John Joseph "Jocko" Fields, Catcher, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This photographic print of John Joseph "Jocko" Fields, a baseball catcher for Pittsburg, was produced around 1887 by Goodwin & Company, as part of their "Old Judge Cigarettes" series. What’s fascinating here is the mass production of images. These cards were essentially marketing premiums. The sepia tone and card stock weren't chosen for aesthetic reasons, but for ease and cost-effectiveness. Photography had become relatively streamlined, but the real innovation was in the printing and distribution. Think about the labor involved: from the photographer and the printing press operators, to the factory workers rolling cigarettes. The image itself presents a romantic vision of athleticism, but it's really a document of industrial capitalism. It speaks volumes about the era's values and the intertwining of leisure, labor, and consumption.