James Edwin "Jim" Powell, Manager and 1st Base, Sioux City Corn Huskers, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This small card, produced by Goodwin & Company in 1889, features James Edwin "Jim" Powell, a baseball manager and player. It's from the Old Judge series, originally packaged with cigarettes. The image, a photograph, was a cutting-edge mass-production technique at the time, allowing for widespread distribution. Think about the scale: thousands of these cards were printed and distributed, a testament to the rise of consumer culture and mass media. The sepia tone gives the card a nostalgic feel, but it also speaks to the industrial processes behind its creation. The card bridges the gap between individual achievement and commercial enterprise. Looking at this artifact, we can see how deeply intertwined art, industry, and popular culture have always been, challenging our notions of what constitutes "art" and who gets to participate in its creation and consumption.