William Ashley "Billy" Sunday, Center Field, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling world of 1880s America with this diminutive gem from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: a rare albumen photograph cigarette card featuring William Ashley "Billy" Sunday, center fielder for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys (soon to become the Pirates). Produced by Goodwin & Company as part of their iconic Old Judge series (N), this 2 11/16 x 1 3/8-inch card captures Sunday in his athletic prime, embodying the era's rising obsession with baseball as America's pastime. These ephemera were savvy marketing tools—tucked into Old Judge cigarette packs to lure collectors, often young boys, into the tobacco trade. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, delivered crisp, detailed portraits that highlighted athletes' prowess, making stars like Sunday instant icons. Part of The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this piece preserves a snapshot of sports culture's commercialization. Interestingly, Billy Sunday traded his glove for the pulpit, becoming one of America's most fiery evangelists by the early 1900s, drawing massive crowds with sermons as energetic as his base-stealing dashes. A bridge between pastime and pulpit, this card whispers of transformation amid Gilded Age grit.

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...