Gil Hatfield, 3rd Base, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is "Gil Hatfield, 3rd Base, New York," a photograph made in 1888 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. The card depicts Hatfield in his New York team uniform, posed mid-play. These cards, inserted into cigarette packs, were a clever marketing tactic, capitalizing on baseball's rising popularity in late 19th-century America. But they also reflect how institutions, like tobacco companies, began shaping and commodifying popular culture. Baseball, a sport associated with American values of hard work and fair play, was here linked to a habit with known health risks. The image itself is carefully constructed, idealizing Hatfield as a heroic figure. Understanding the context of this card requires research into baseball's early history, the advertising strategies of the time, and the social attitudes towards tobacco consumption. It reminds us that even seemingly simple images are embedded in complex economic and cultural networks.