John Montgomery Ward, Captain and Shortstop, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is John Montgomery Ward, Captain and Shortstop, New York, made in 1888 by Goodwin & Company as part of the Old Judge series for Old Judge Cigarettes. This baseball card emerges at a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization in America, reflecting the rise of both commercial culture and leisure activities like baseball. As a figure, Ward transcends the boundaries of the sport; he was also a lawyer and advocate for players' rights. This card encapsulates the complex intersections of sport, commerce, and labor. On one hand, Ward, as a white male athlete, occupies a privileged position. Yet, his involvement in organizing the Brotherhood of Professional Baseball Players, which fought against the reserve clause that restricted players' movement, reveals a challenge to the established capitalist order. The card then is more than a portrait; it invites us to consider the tensions between individual achievement, collective action, and the commodification of human talent. It reflects both the possibilities and constraints of identity within late 19th-century American society.