James "Jim" M. Banning, Catcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This photographic print of James "Jim" M. Banning, a baseball catcher for the Washington Nationals, was made around 1889 by Goodwin & Company, as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. The albumen print, made from an early photographic process, has a sepia tone, giving it a distinctive aged appearance. The tonal range is subtle, with the texture of the photographic paper being visible. This process involved coating paper with a mixture of egg white and silver nitrate, making it sensitive to light. The negative was then placed on the paper and exposed to sunlight, creating the final image. The card was included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes as a promotional item, linking baseball, smoking and capitalism. These cards were collected by baseball fans, and the mass production of such imagery speaks to the rising popularity of sports at the time, and reveals a desire for consumer goods. When considering the image, it is important to remember that even a utilitarian object can be appreciated for its craft and the historical context that it embodies.