Nicholson, 2nd Base, St. Louis Whites, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a photographic print, from a series made around 1887 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. Here we see T.C. Nicholson, 2nd Base for the St. Louis Whites. The Old Judge series, like other baseball cards of its era, wasn't just about the sport; it was deeply embedded in the burgeoning consumer culture of late 19th-century America. The rise of commercial photography coincided with baseball’s growing popularity, and businesses like Goodwin sought to capitalize on both. Consider how the image creates meaning: the player's stance, the team name, and the cigarette brand, all carefully arranged to promote a specific image of athleticism, success, and, of course, smoking. This was a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization in the United States, and baseball was becoming a national pastime, a unifying force in a society undergoing significant change. Studying the archives of companies such as Goodwin, and contemporary media, we can better understand the cultural values and economic forces that shaped the production and reception of such images.