Ryan, Right Field, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card, printed by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes around the late 19th century, presents a portrait of Ryan, a right fielder for the Chicago team. Consider the cultural context: baseball emerged as a national pastime during a period of significant social and industrial change. These cards reflect an era when commercialism and leisure began to intertwine, with the rise of mass media. We see Ryan, likely a working-class athlete, transformed into a commodity, his image used to sell cigarettes. The photograph aestheticizes the male form, typical of advertisements, while also reflecting the hyper-masculine culture of sports. The card embodies themes of identity, commerce, and the evolving concept of celebrity. What does it mean to be immortalized in such a small, mass-produced format? The answer may lie in understanding the dreams and values of a society in transition, much like our own.