John Irwin, 3rd Base, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a baseball card from the *Old Judge* series produced by Goodwin & Company in 1887. It depicts John Irwin, a third baseman for the Washington Nationals. The card is part of a larger set of cards featuring various baseball players, which were marketed as inserts in packs of Old Judge cigarettes. This type of card is known as a "trade card," and the Old Judge series is considered one of the earliest and most important sets of baseball cards. The photo of Irwin, in a baseball uniform, was likely taken from a studio portrait, which was common practice for these early cards. The card, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a testament to the early days of professional baseball and its growing popularity in the late 19th century.