Shindle, 3rd Base, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This tiny photograph of Shindle, the Baltimore Orioles third baseman, was made by Goodwin & Company as an advertising premium for their Old Judge Cigarettes. Like other cards in the series, it would have been made through a combination of photography and industrial printing. The sepia tone arises from the chemical process used to develop the image. What might seem like a mundane commercial item now, was actually on the cutting edge of mass media at the time. Think of it as an early form of influencer marketing: the makers of Old Judge Cigarettes understood that everyday people are influenced by the activities of famous athletes. The card also speaks to the rise of leisure culture, as baseball became increasingly popular as a spectator sport, and the expansion of consumer culture in the late 19th century. By considering its manufacture and distribution, this baseball card, like so many other everyday objects, can be understood as a potent carrier of social and economic meaning.