Slattery, Left Field, New York, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling world of 1880s baseball with *Slattery, Left Field New York*, a captivating albumen photograph from Goodwin & Company's *Old Judge Cigarettes*. Produced in 1888, this card captures Mike "Birdie" Slattery, the agile left fielder for the York Giants, in a poised portrait that embodies the era's growing obsession with America's pastime. As one of the earliest professional athletes to gain widespread fame, Slattery's image reflects the sport's transition from amateur sandlots to big-league spectacles, drawing crowds to polo grounds across the nation. Goodwin & Company, a leading tobacco firm, pioneered these promotional cards—tiny treasures inserted into cigarette packs to entice collectors and boost sales. Printed via the albumen process on glossy paper, the 6½ x 4⅜-inch card showcases the crisp detail and warm sepia tones typical of 19th-century photography, making it both a functional ad and a work of ephemera art. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, it highlights how commerce and culture intertwined, preserving portraits of stars like Slattery for future fans. Today, this piece offers a window into baseball's golden origins, celebrating athletic heroism through everyday objects that sparked a collecting craze.

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...