Samuel Luther "Sam" Thompson, Right Field, Detroit Wolverines, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This baseball card, featuring Samuel Luther "Sam" Thompson of the Detroit Wolverines, was made around 1887 by Goodwin & Company, using photography and printing techniques on paper. These cards were produced as promotional items included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. Consider the materials: a photograph, carefully printed and cut to a standard size. The real value wasn’t in the image itself, but in the clever way it was distributed. The cards were essentially marketing tools, designed to entice customers to purchase more cigarettes. This points to the close relationship between mass culture, commerce, and leisure in the late 19th century. The act of collecting these cards became a popular pastime, fueled by the industrial production of images. This little piece of paper offers a fascinating glimpse into the rise of consumer culture. It blurs the lines between sport, advertising, and the everyday lives of people who both played and consumed baseball.