Ledell "Cannonball" Titcomb, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card of Ledell "Cannonball" Titcomb, a pitcher for New York, was produced around 1888 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. It's a small albumen print, a photographic process popular in the late 19th century. Albumen printing involved coating paper with egg white and then a silver nitrate solution, making it sensitive to light. The negative would then be pressed against the prepared paper and exposed to sunlight. The resulting image has a distinctive sepia tone and a smooth, glossy surface. The process itself was labor-intensive, involving a skilled photographic technician and the mass production of negatives. What's interesting here is the intersection of sport, celebrity, and industrial production. The card was not made for art’s sake, but to promote consumption. Consider the number of these cards made, handled, and discarded. This mass production is key to its cultural significance, capturing a moment in baseball history while simultaneously reflecting the burgeoning advertising industry. By considering the materiality and context of this baseball card, we can see how it challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and everyday ephemera.