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

This is “Madden, Pitcher, Boston,” a baseball trading card from the Old Judge series, created in 1887 by Goodwin & Company. These cards, included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes, capture a moment when baseball was rapidly growing in popularity, yet still defining its image and cultural role. The photograph presents Madden, a pitcher for Boston, in a posed stance, embodying both the athleticism and the constructed persona of a baseball player. During this era, baseball was marketed as a wholesome, masculine pastime, deeply connected to notions of American identity. Consider how the image, while seemingly straightforward, participates in shaping the narrative of baseball as an idealized vision of American life. The card also prompts questions about labor, commerce, and the ways in which athletes' images were commodified. How does Madden's image, reproduced and distributed through a product like cigarettes, reflect the economic forces at play? It's a layered snapshot of a time, a sport, and the making of an American identity.