Edward C. "Mouse" Glenn, Left Field, Sioux City Corn Huskers, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This baseball card of Edward C. "Mouse" Glenn, left fielder for the Sioux City Corn Huskers, was made in 1888 by Goodwin & Company as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. These cards existed within a rapidly changing America, a time of growing industrialization and urbanization, but also, racial segregation. The image presents a romanticized vision of athleticism and leisure. Yet, it's impossible to ignore the intertwining of commerce and sport, with baseball cards functioning as promotional items for tobacco companies. This connection highlights how consumer culture was beginning to shape identities and social practices. Moreover, the whiteness of the baseball player, in contrast with the exclusion of Black players from organized baseball at that time, speaks volumes about the racial biases embedded within American society. These biases permeated every level of culture, from the sports field to the advertising industry. This card is both a nostalgic artifact and a stark reminder of the complex ways in which identity, commerce, and social inequality were intertwined in the late 19th century.