Augustus Peter "Gus" Alberts, Shortstop, Milwaukee, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This photograph of baseball player Augustus Peter "Gus" Alberts was made by Goodwin & Company, a cigarette manufacturer, as part of a promotional series. The albumen print, a process popular in the late 19th century, was created by coating paper with egg white and then a light-sensitive silver solution. This technique yielded a sharp image, but also one prone to fading and discoloration over time. The card was then included in Old Judge Cigarettes packaging. This speaks to the industrialization of leisure and the integration of sport into everyday consumer culture. The mass production of these cards, through chemical and mechanical means, stands in contrast to earlier forms of portraiture, such as painting or engraving. The image of Alberts, immortalized in a fleeting moment, became a collectible commodity, reflecting the growing commercialization of baseball and its players. It’s important to remember the context of materials and making to understand the social and cultural forces at play in this seemingly simple baseball card.