Richardson, Left Field, Boston, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This photograph, "Richardson, Left Field, Boston", was produced around 1887 by Goodwin & Company, New York, as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. The sepia tone flattens the image, reducing the figure of the baseball player to a study in tonal gradients and textures. The composition is deceptively simple. The player, centrally positioned, is framed by the subtle diagonals of the baseball field and the blurred architecture in the background. This creates a shallow depth of field that emphasizes the present action, yet hints at the broader context of the game and its relationship to the urban environment. The texture of the photograph itself is crucial. The slightly grainy quality, inherent in early photographic processes, lends a sense of authenticity and immediacy. This materiality serves as a reminder of the photograph's origin as a mass-produced commercial object.