John Weyhing, Pitcher, Cleveland, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a baseball card featuring John Weyhing, a pitcher for Cleveland, created by Goodwin & Company around 1888 as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. The sepia tone flattens the image and draws our attention to the composition. Weyhing is positioned centrally, his body forming a stable, almost stoic vertical axis. The subtle landscape in the background, barely articulated, serves primarily to anchor him. Note how the artist uses the texture of Weyhing's uniform – the ribbed sleeves and the folds in his trousers – to create a sense of depth. His hands, clasped in front of him, are the focal point, drawing the viewer's gaze and creating a dynamic tension. The structural arrangement of the player with the landscape flattens this portrait into a symbol. This card, a mass-produced object, elevates Weyhing to an iconic status through careful arrangement of form and texture, blurring the line between commercial product and cultural artifact. It prompts us to think about how images create meaning and sustain it through form and repetition.