John Nelson Kerins, Catcher, Louisville Colonels, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a card featuring John Nelson Kerins, a catcher for the Louisville Colonels, produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes, likely dating to the late 1880s. It's a small paper rectangle, printed with a sepia-toned photograph of Kerins in his baseball uniform. The card's material is humble, yet its production reflects the rise of mass media and consumer culture. These cards were essentially promotional items, distributed with cigarettes to encourage brand loyalty. The company mass produced these cards using photomechanical processes and printing technology. The purpose of such cards was to popularize baseball players and promote cigarette consumption. The printing quality isn't high, but the image has a certain charm. These cards were collected and traded, becoming both a record of baseball history and a reflection of the era's commercial landscape. They remind us that even the most seemingly disposable objects can hold significant cultural and historical value.