William Ellsworth "Bill" Blair, Pitcher, Hamilton Hams, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a baseball card from the Old Judge series, which was issued by Goodwin & Company as an advertisement for Old Judge Cigarettes in 1888. The card features William Ellsworth "Bill" Blair, a pitcher for the Hamilton Hams, in a photorealistic depiction of his baseball uniform, holding a ball. The card is a sepia toned photograph, a popular style for photography in the late 19th century, and is part of a larger collection of cards showcasing notable baseball players of the era. The Metropolitan Museum of Art owns this example of the card, which is a small, collectible item measuring 6.9 x 3.5 cm.