Kenyon, Catcher, St. Louis Whites, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This is a Goodwin & Company baseball card, "Kenyon, Catcher, St. Louis Whites," a lithograph from the Old Judge series. The sepia tone evokes nostalgia for the early days of baseball, while the compact format reflects its origin as a collectible insert in cigarette packs. Consider the image's composition: Kenyon is centered, his body forming a vertical axis that dominates the frame. The diagonal line of his raised arm creates a dynamic tension, drawing the eye upward. There’s a subtle play between figure and ground; Kenyon seems to emerge from the grassy field, blurring the boundaries between player and environment. The card not only captures a moment in baseball history, but also embodies the era's approach to representation and commercial culture. The image challenges fixed notions of sports memorabilia, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and cultural identity.