Hiram "Hi" C. Ebright, Catcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This small photographic print shows Hiram "Hi" C. Ebright, catcher for the Washington Nationals, and was made by Goodwin & Company in the late 19th century as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. Printed on paper, these cards were originally packaged with cigarettes, reflecting a direct link between mass-produced consumer goods and popular culture. The sepia tone of the print, achieved through chemical processing of the photographic emulsion, gives the image a nostalgic quality, yet speaks to the industrialization of image-making at the time. The texture of the paper, though smooth, bears the marks of its manufacture, underscoring its status as a mass-produced object. The image’s purpose—to promote cigarette sales—highlights how art and craft were increasingly integrated into the machinery of commerce and consumerism. This speaks volumes about the era’s social values and the intertwining of leisure, labor, and commodity culture. Considering the materials, making, and context of this print allows us to see beyond its surface as a mere baseball card, and consider it as a cultural artifact embedded in the history of industrial production and consumer culture.