Nash, 3rd Base, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Goodwin & Company created this photograph of Nash, 3rd Base, Boston, for Old Judge Cigarettes in 1887. The baseball card emerged in a period of rapid industrialization and urbanization in the United States. Cigarette companies like Old Judge used these cards as promotional items, inserting them into packs to attract customers. The cards reflect the rising popularity of baseball as a spectator sport, and the increasing commercialization of leisure activities. This image normalizes the sport and idealizes male athletes like Nash. But the value of the photograph as a historical record, and as a collectible, also relies on institutions like the Metropolitan Museum. The museum space gives the photograph legitimacy, and allows it to be appreciated as a cultural artifact. Understanding the card's value depends on tracing the history of baseball, advertising, and the collecting mania that emerged in the late 19th century.