Michael "Mike" Joseph Mattimore, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This small photographic card of Michael "Mike" Joseph Mattimore, a New York pitcher, was made by Goodwin & Company around 1887 as part of a series of baseball cards for Old Judge Cigarettes. The image, mass-produced for commercial purposes, reflects the growing popularity of baseball as a spectator sport in late 19th-century America. Its distribution through tobacco products speaks to the intertwining of leisure, advertising, and consumption in this period. Note the backdrop, seemingly artificial, suggesting the controlled conditions of the studio rather than the dynamism of the baseball field. It is a constructed image, designed to promote both the player and the product. Understanding this card requires us to look beyond its surface. Research into the history of baseball, advertising, and consumer culture of the time can provide a more complete picture of its significance. The meaning of this piece resides in its social and institutional context.