Mathews, Pitcher, Philadelphia Athletics, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This card was made by Goodwin & Company, sometime in the late 19th century, as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. The photographic image, sepia-toned, shows a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. Now, the important thing here is the relationship between the image and the cigarette brand. These cards were essentially marketing tools, a means of building brand loyalty at a time when the very concept of "leisure" was being standardized and commodified. The mass production of cigarettes was linked to the mass production of images, as the cards were made possible by new printing technologies. Consider, too, the labor involved: from the factory workers producing the cigarettes and cards to the athletes themselves, all caught up in a burgeoning culture of spectacle and consumption. The card is small and flimsy, yet it represents a vast network of social and economic relationships. So, next time you see a seemingly simple object like this, remember to look beyond the surface. The materials, the making, the context – they all tell a story.