Rehse, Pitcher, Minneapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a card featuring Rehse, a baseball pitcher for Minneapolis, made in 1888 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. Think of it as an early form of advertising, one that reveals how nascent American institutions co-opted cultural phenomena to further their own aims. In the late 19th century, baseball was rapidly rising in popularity, becoming a national pastime that transcended social classes. Here, the Old Judge Cigarettes brand leveraged that popularity, embedding itself within the cultural fabric of the time. This card is not merely a portrait of an athlete, but a carefully constructed piece of propaganda, associating the brand with notions of athleticism and American identity. To fully grasp the significance of this card, one must look into the history of baseball, the rise of consumer culture, and the strategies employed by companies like Goodwin & Company. The meaning of art is deeply rooted in its historical and institutional context.