Willard Eben Mains, Pitcher, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling world of 19th-century baseball with this diminutive gem: a portrait of Willard Eben Mains, ace pitcher for the St. Apostles, from Goodwin & Company's iconic Old Judge series (N). Produced in 1889, this tiny albumen photograph—measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches—was tucked into packs of Old Judge Cigarettes a clever marketing ploy. These cards captured the era's rising sports heroes in crisp, formal poses, blending portraiture with ephemera to fuel America's growing obsession with the national pastime. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites sensitized to silver salts, were the gold standard for photography in the 1880s, offering sharp detail and warm tones ideal for mass reproduction. Goodwin & Company issued over 500 variations in the Old Judge set, making these cards invaluable snapshots of professional baseball's formative years, when players like Mains helped legitimize the sport amid its transition from amateur fun to big-league spectacle. Today, this piece from The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art reminds us how everyday tobacco tins preserved cultural history. A tiny window into Gilded Age fandom, it celebrates athletic grit and the artistry of early commercial photography.

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...