Van Haltren, Pitcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This small card, dating to 1888, shows Van Haltren, a pitcher for the Chicago team, and was made by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. It’s made of paper, and the photographic image is printed in sepia tones, likely using an albumen process. The card’s material existence is directly tied to mass culture and consumption, as it was included in cigarette packs. It reflects the rise of both baseball and mass advertising in the late 19th century. The process of photography itself, then relatively new, allowed for the mass production of images, turning baseball players into recognizable celebrities. These cards were not intended as high art, but their survival and presence in museum collections today invite us to consider how everyday objects can become cultural artifacts, blurring the lines between commercial ephemera and treasured art. They remind us that value and meaning can shift over time, transforming the mundane into something worthy of preservation and study.