James Augustus "Jim" Donahue, Catcher, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling world of 1880s America with this petite albumen photograph from Goodwin & Company's *Old Judge series (N172), a promotional card featuring James Augustus "Jim" Donue, the skilled catcher for the Kansas Cowboys baseball team. Produced in 1888, this 2 11/16 x 1 3/8-inch gem captures Donahue in a classic pose, emblematic of the era's growing obsession with professional sports. Tobacco companies like Goodwin cleverly tucked these cards into Old Judge Cigarette packs turning everyday smokers into collectors and fueling baseball's popularity during its formative professional years. As an early example of sports ephemera, this piece highlights the cultural fusion of advertising, photography, and athletics. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts for sharp detail and warm tones, were the gold standard for mid-19th-century photography, lending a lifelike quality to these miniature portraits. Donahue, a real trailblazer on the diamond, embodies the grit of early baseball stars navigating minor and major leagues. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of vintage cards gifted by the legendary collector—this artwork reminds us how humble trading cards evolved into a billion-dollar industry, preserving snapshots of American leisure and heroism.

About the Artist

Goodwin & Company · 1850–1950

**Goodwin & Company (ca. 1850–1950)** Goodwin & Company, originally established as E. Goodwin and Brother before the American Civil War, emerged as a prominent New York City-based tobacco manufacturer in the mid-19th century. Operating from the bustling heart of Manhattan, the firm built its reputation on popular cigarette brands such as Gypsy Queen and, most notably, Old Judge, which became syno...