Clark, Catcher, Brooklyn Bridegrooms, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is a baseball card from the "Old Judge" series, a set of cards issued by the Goodwin & Company tobacco company to promote Old Judge Cigarettes. The card features a photograph of "Clark, C.," a baseball player from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and was created in 1889. The image is a classic portrait style, with the player standing with his glove in hand against a light background. The card is now part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This "trade card" is a quintessential example of 19th-century advertising, using the popularity of baseball to promote their product. The simple, but elegant style of the card exemplifies early "sports cards".