Clarence Geoghan "Kid" Baldwin, Catcher, Cincinnati, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is Clarence Geoghan "Kid" Baldwin, Catcher, Cincinnati, a photographic print made by Goodwin & Company in 1888. It comes from the Old Judge series of baseball cards, which were originally included in packages of Old Judge Cigarettes. At the time, baseball was rapidly growing in popularity, and these cards served as a form of advertising that capitalized on this trend. But they also played a role in shaping the culture of the sport itself. The images helped to create a sense of celebrity around the players and contributed to the commercialization of baseball. Produced by a cigarette company, these cards speak to the ways in which institutions outside of the art world – like the tobacco industry – can inadvertently shape visual culture. Historians of sport, advertising, and photography can help us understand the various social forces that intersected in the production and consumption of these images.