Boyle, Pitcher, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This baseball card featuring Boyle, Pitcher for Indianapolis, was made by Goodwin & Company in New York, likely around 1888. It is a photographic print, a novel form of image making at the time, mass produced and included in Old Judge Cigarette packets. The card's sepia tone speaks to early photographic chemistry and the limitations of reproducing color. Beyond its aesthetic qualities, photography played a key role in democratizing image-making, allowing for the wide distribution of likenesses. This was not fine art, yet it had a cultural function. Consider the social context: baseball's rising popularity, and the mass marketing of tobacco. Both industries relied on a growing workforce, with the photographic print acting as a small cog in the wheel of industry. It's an interesting thing, to see an everyday consumer object, now elevated to the status of a museum artwork. This reminds us that meaning is not fixed, but evolves with time and context.