William Shenkel, Pitcher, Milwaukee, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This photographic print of William Shenkel, a pitcher for Milwaukee, was produced around 1888 by Goodwin & Company as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. The sepia tone flattens the image, emphasizing the subject's posture against a blurred background. Shenkel is centered, his uniform rendered in shades that distinguish fabric from flesh. His hands, held mid-motion, suggest action frozen in time, a nod to the burgeoning interest in capturing fleeting moments through photography. The composition directs the viewer's eye from the player's face, down his body, to the textual information that anchors him in place and time. The rigid lines of the text contrast with the soft gradation of the image, highlighting the card's function as both a commercial product and a piece of collectible memorabilia. This tension between art and commerce, image and text, is a reminder of the complex ways in which photography was being used to construct identities and narratives in late 19th-century America.