Sullivan, Left Field, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a baseball card from 1888, produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. It features Sullivan, a left fielder for Indianapolis. These cards were a marketing innovation, capitalizing on the rising popularity of baseball and the mass consumption of tobacco. By including collectible cards in cigarette packs, companies like Goodwin aimed to boost sales and brand loyalty. The image of Sullivan, caught mid-action, promotes an ideal of athleticism, while subtly associating it with the pleasure of smoking. The production and distribution of these cards reflect the economic and cultural landscape of late 19th-century America, a time of rapid industrialization, urbanization, and the rise of consumer culture. To truly understand these objects we need to look at period advertising, company records, and the biographies of the players themselves. By considering this rich source material, we begin to see how even the smallest artifacts can be revealing cultural documents.