Peter W. Webber, Pitcher, Sioux City Corn Huskers, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century baseball with this petite albumen photograph from 1889, featuring Peter W. Webber, the pitcher for the Sioux City Huskers. Produced by Goodwin & Company as part of their iconic Old Judge series (N172tiny trading cards tucked into cigarette packs—this 2 11/16 x 1 3/8-inch portrait captures Webber in a poised, athletic stance, embodying the grit and grace of early professional sports. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, were the gold standard for sharp, luminous photography in the era, allowing mass production of these ephemera. The Old Judge series, one of the first extensive baseball card sets, featured hundreds of players from major and minor leagues, blending tobacco advertising with America's growing passion for the national pastime. Issued during baseball's explosive popularity in the late 1880s, these cards offer a fascinating snapshot of athletic heroes before the sport's modern commercialization. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece highlights ephemera's artistic value—once disposable promotions, now treasured artifacts of cultural history. It reminds us how everyday objects chronicled the stars who shaped baseball's enduring legacy.

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...