Fred J. Mann, Right Field, Hartford, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is Fred J. Mann, Right Field for Hartford, made around 1888 by Goodwin & Company, as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. It's a small photographic print, a by-product of mass production. It has a sepia tone and a soft, almost hazy focus. The sepia tone comes from the chemical process used to develop the image, a process that was becoming increasingly standardized and industrialized at the time. These cards were essentially printed ephemera, churned out in vast quantities as promotional items. What's interesting is the collision of commerce and culture. Baseball was rapidly becoming America's pastime, and Goodwin & Company cleverly capitalized on its popularity to sell cigarettes. This speaks volumes about the emerging culture of consumerism and the way in which leisure activities were being packaged and sold to the masses. So, the next time you see a baseball card, think about the complex web of materials, making, and social context that went into its creation. It's more than just a picture, it's a window into a world of industrialization, commercialism, and the ever-evolving relationship between work and play.