John A. "Jack" Farrell, 2nd Base, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This photographic print of John A. "Jack" Farrell was made by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes in the 1880s in the United States. These cards exemplify the late 19th-century marketing strategies that connected baseball's rising popularity with the equally booming tobacco industry. Note how the image, composition, and printing quality are secondary to the branding of "Old Judge Cigarettes." The card’s function within a larger consumer culture highlights the institutional and economic forces shaping artistic production at the time. By looking at advertising ephemera like this, we can better understand the social conditions that shape what images are made, who they depict, and what purposes they serve. It requires looking beyond traditional art historical sources toward the wider field of visual and material culture.