Shindle, 3rd Base, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card, made by Goodwin & Company in New York around 1888, depicts Shindel, a third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, and was inserted into packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards represent an interesting intersection of consumer culture and the burgeoning popularity of professional baseball in late 19th-century America. The cards served as promotional material, encouraging brand loyalty among cigarette smokers while simultaneously fueling the public's fascination with baseball players. Note how Shindel is presented in a posed studio shot, rather than an action scene from a game. This speaks to the way in which athletes were being constructed as celebrities, their images carefully curated for public consumption. Historians interested in this kind of ephemera can consult trade publications and company archives to understand the marketing strategies behind these cards. Through this, we gain insights into the social and economic forces that shaped both the sport of baseball and the rise of mass media in American culture.