Farrell, 2nd Base, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This small card, featuring Farrell of the Baltimore Orioles, was made by Goodwin & Company around 1888 as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. It’s made through a photographic printing process, likely albumen or gelatin silver, on paper, then mounted on card stock. What’s fascinating here is the industrial system at play. Cigarette cards like this one were early examples of mass-produced collectibles. The cards provided structural support to the cigarette packs, and also, clever marketing. The images, capturing baseball players in staged poses, created a craze that drove sales. This illustrates the connection between image-making, celebrity culture, and consumerism. Consider the labor involved: from the photographers to the printing workers, all employed to produce these ephemeral objects. While the players themselves became iconic, the cards also reflect the social context of late 19th-century America, where leisure, sport, and tobacco went hand in hand, all fueled by industrial capitalism. It really makes you think about the material culture of everyday life, and how even a small card like this connects to larger economic and social systems.