George A. Wood, Left Field, Philadelphia, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card of George A. Wood, a left fielder for Philadelphia, was produced around 1888 by Goodwin & Company for their "Old Judge" cigarettes. It's a simple albumen print, a photograph, but its value lies in what it tells us about the commercialization of sports and the rise of mass culture in America at the time. Note how the image functions as advertising. Baseball's rising popularity provided a captive audience for brands like "Old Judge," linking athletic prowess with the pleasure of smoking. These cards weren't just about the players; they were about building brand loyalty. The production of these cards reflects the changing landscape of leisure and consumption in the late 19th century. To understand this image fully, one might delve into the history of advertising, the growth of the tobacco industry, and the evolution of baseball as a professional sport. Only then can we grasp the full social and economic context of this seemingly simple baseball card.