A.C. Anson, Captain, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This small photograph of A. C. Anson, captain of the Chicago White Stockings baseball team, was produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes in late nineteenth-century America. These cards existed as promotional material and reflected a growing interest in celebrity culture. But the image of Anson also carries deeper social meanings. Note the formality of his dress, the carefully groomed mustache; these details speak to the Victorian era's emphasis on respectability and self-control. Baseball itself, though a sport, was being institutionalized as a symbol of American values and a form of national identity. Understanding this image requires us to look beyond the surface, using resources like contemporary newspapers, business records, and even early baseball statistics to uncover the complex relationship between commerce, celebrity, and cultural values. The meaning of art, after all, is always contingent on its social and institutional context.