Radbourn, Pitcher, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This small card was made by Goodwin & Company in 1887, using photographic printing. It's one of many that the company produced, inserted into packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. The card, sepia toned, shows baseball player Radbourn, being attended to by presumably the team coach. The support of baseball cards as a promotional device was a brilliant marketing strategy, aligning the popularity of sports figures with the habit of smoking. But the images themselves are equally fascinating, in that they record a transitional moment in the history of photography. The card itself, made from thin paper stock, speaks to the mass production inherent in both the tobacco and photography industries. We see here the convergence of early advertising, sports culture, and the burgeoning technologies of image reproduction, all wrapped up in a single, humble artifact. It reminds us that even the smallest of objects can illuminate broader social and economic forces.