Thomas H. "Pat" Deasley, Catcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This baseball card, featuring Thomas H. "Pat" Deasley, was produced around 1887 by Goodwin & Company, a cigarette manufacturer. Printed on thin paper stock, the card was part of a series inserted into cigarette packs as a promotional item. The image is a sepia-toned photograph, likely a mass-produced albumen print. What's fascinating is how this seemingly simple object embodies the burgeoning consumer culture of the late 19th century. The industrialization of photography allowed for the mass production of these cards, linking the worlds of sports, advertising, and tobacco consumption. The card's small size and ephemeral nature speak to its intended use as a disposable premium, yet it also represents the growing popularity of baseball and the rise of celebrity culture. The card’s survival speaks to a collecting impulse, a desire to preserve and assign value to objects that were originally intended to be discarded. This speaks to how popular culture has become integrated into our institutions of fine art.