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

This photographic print of a baseball player, titled "Cleveland, 3rd Base, New York," was produced in 1888 by Goodwin & Company as part of their Old Judge Cigarettes series. These cards were not simply pictures; they were instruments in shaping the image of baseball and its players at a time when the sport was rapidly professionalizing. The late 19th century in America witnessed the rise of mass media and consumer culture, and baseball cards were a part of this phenomenon. Sponsoring baseball images promoted not only the sport but also, of course, the consumption of tobacco. To understand the appeal of these cards, we can look at how they functioned within the broader social and economic landscape of the Gilded Age. Researching the history of baseball, the tobacco industry, and the rise of consumer culture in late 19th-century America helps us understand the social life of this image.