Augustus Peter "Gus" Alberts, Shortstop, Milwaukee, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a photographic baseball card of Augustus Peter "Gus" Alberts, a shortstop for Milwaukee, made around 1888 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards were originally advertisements, tucked into cigarette packs to boost sales, tapping into the burgeoning popularity of baseball in late 19th-century America. Consider the social context: baseball was becoming a national pastime, and mass-produced images like this helped to create a sense of shared identity. This was also an era marked by industrial expansion, the rise of consumer culture, and new forms of advertising. Goodwin & Company cannily linked their product to the wholesome image of baseball, aiming to reach a broad audience. To understand this card fully, we might delve into business histories of tobacco companies, explore the evolution of baseball as a cultural phenomenon, and examine the rise of image-based advertising. Through such investigations, we begin to appreciate how a simple baseball card reveals the complex interplay of commerce, sport, and visual culture in America's Gilded Age.