Bill George, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a carte-de-visite, or visiting card, dating to 1887, produced by Goodwin & Company of New York. It features Bill George, a pitcher for the New York Giants baseball team, and was included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. These small cards were made using albumen prints, a photographic process popular in the 19th century. It involved coating paper with a layer of egg white and then sensitizing it with a silver nitrate solution. The resulting print has a distinctive sepia tone and a smooth, glossy surface. The material qualities, as with the packs of cigarettes which housed these cards, are inexpensive and mass-produced. The process of creating these cards involved a division of labor – photographers, printers, and factory workers all played a role. These cards speak to the growing commercialization of sports and the rise of consumer culture in the late 19th century. They also represent an early form of advertising, blurring the lines between sport, commerce, and popular culture. Understanding this context helps us move beyond traditional art history.