Paul Aloysius Hines, Center Field, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century American sports culture with this petite albumen photograph from Goodwin & Company's *Old Judge* series (N172), produced in 1887. Titled *Paul Aloysius Hines Center Field, Washington Nationals it captures the poised portrait of Paul Hines, a star center fielder, in a format designed for Old Judge Cigarettes packs. Measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches, this ephemera exemplifies the era's trading cards—tiny treasures that turned everyday tobacco products into collectibles, fueling baseball's rise as the national pastime. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites sensitized to silver salts, delivered sharp details and rich tones perfect for mass reproduction. Goodwin & Company pioneered these cards, blending photography's precision with advertising savvy to immortalize athletes like Hines amid the professionalization of baseball in the 1880s. As part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights how such modest prints preserved portraits of men who defined early sports heroism. Today, this card bridges art, commerce, and fandom, offering a snapshot of Gilded Age innovation where a cigarette insert became cultural artifact—reminding us how everyday objects chronicled America's sporting soul.

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...