James Thomas "Deacon" McGuire, Catcher, Philadelphia, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a card from the Old Judge Cigarettes series, picturing James Thomas "Deacon" McGuire, a baseball catcher for Philadelphia, made by Goodwin & Company in 1888. The print is mounted on card stock, a common format for commercial ephemera in the late 19th century. The photographic image itself, likely mass-produced using albumen prints, connects to a whole system of labor and consumption. While the portrait captures McGuire's individual athletic prowess, it also subtly reflects the industrial processes and marketing strategies of its time. It's a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images are embedded in complex economic networks. The card’s function as a promotional item collapses the distance between the consumer, the sport, and the ever-growing culture of celebrity. It prompts us to think about the value we place on both skilled labor and the artifacts that circulate within popular culture, and how so-called ‘low’ media have become a dominant visual language.