Timothy John "Tim" Keefe, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Goodwin & Company produced this baseball card of Tim Keefe around 1887, as part of a series of promotional items for Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards emerged during a period of burgeoning commercialism and growing enthusiasm for baseball. As a result, these cards provide a glimpse into how athletes were marketed and consumed as figures of celebrity. Keefe, a star pitcher for the New York Giants, is captured here with a serious look. His tall socks and striped shirt recall an era when uniforms spoke to something beyond mere utility; they were also about crafting an image. What does it mean to see Keefe's image tied to a product like cigarettes? It invites us to think about the intertwining of health, leisure, and the commodification of the human body. The card not only immortalizes Keefe as an athlete, but also implicates him in the promotion of a habit now known to be deadly. It's a cultural artifact that captures the complex relationship between sports, advertising, and the construction of identity in America.