James Edward "Tip" O'Neill, Left Field, St. Louis Browns, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This is a baseball card of James Edward "Tip" O'Neill, a left fielder for the St. Louis Browns, produced by Goodwin & Company around 1889. These cards were included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. Consider the social context: baseball's rise coincided with the growth of industrial cities in the late 19th century. As urban populations swelled, baseball became a unifying pastime, offering a sense of community and shared identity. This card then, is a consumer product, but also a signifier of cultural values associated with sport and leisure. It is preserved in an institution that values art and design. The image, likely a photograph, speaks to the growing popularity and commercialization of baseball. The Goodwin Company printed an array of baseball players to promote the sale of their cigarettes, a practice which highlights the intersection of sport, business, and advertising. Understanding this image involves looking at the social and economic conditions that shaped its production and consumption. We can find more about the history of baseball, the marketing of tobacco, and the development of photography in archives, libraries, and museums.