James H. "Jim" Manning, Shortstop, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Goodwin & Company produced this baseball card of James H. "Jim" Manning in 1888, as part of a series for Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards emerged during a period of increasing commercialization and growing fascination with celebrity culture. As we gaze at Manning, a shortstop for the Kansas City Cowboys, in his uniform, we are also invited to consider the intertwined histories of sport, advertising, and the construction of masculine identity. Sporting heroes like Manning were among the first to be celebrated, not only for their athletic prowess but also for their potential to endorse products. Here, Manning's image is being deployed to sell cigarettes, subtly associating tobacco consumption with athleticism and the rugged individualism that was so often associated with this era of American expansion. It is important to reflect on how consumer culture continues to shape and reflect societal values. The exchange value of Manning's image then and now reminds us to interrogate the relationship between commerce, identity, and the enduring power of representation.