William C. Crossley, Catcher, Milwaukee, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is a baseball card of William C. Crossley, a catcher for Milwaukee, made by Goodwin & Company in 1889 as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. It reflects the late 19th century's burgeoning consumer culture where images of athletes became tools to market products. The card captures Crossley in his baseball uniform, bat in hand, embodying ideals of American masculinity and athleticism. But beyond this individual portrait, the image speaks to broader issues of labor, leisure, and the construction of identity in a rapidly industrializing America. Note how baseball, like tobacco, was consumed by a public increasingly defined by its leisure time and spending habits. These cards served to reinforce social norms and hierarchies, contributing to the narrative of who was seen and valued in American society. What does it mean to find value and identity in such ephemera? These objects capture and reflect societal values, inviting us to consider the narratives they perpetuate and those they leave out.