William Hildreth "Bill" Hawes, 1st Base, Minneapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the bustling world of 1880s America with this petite albumen photograph from Goodwin & Company's iconic Old Judge series (N), a promotional insert for Judge Cigarettes. T *William Hildreth "" Hawes, 1st Base, Minneapolis*, it captures the focused gaze of Bill Hawes, a first baseman for the Minneapolis teamlikely the Millers of the minor leagues. Measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches, this ephemera was designed to fit snugly in a cigarette pack, blending portraiture with sports fandom. Produced in 1888, these cards marked an early milestone in baseball memorabilia, fueling the sport's explosion as America's pastime amid post-Civil War leisure culture. Goodwin & Company, a leading tobacco firm, commissioned photographs of players, lithographing them onto card stock using the albumen process—a pioneering wet-collodion technique that yielded rich, detailed tones from silver salts on paper. Far from disposable ads, they immortalized athletes like Hawes, bridging photography's artistic precision with commercial ephemera. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this card highlights how everyday objects chronicled cultural heroes, offering a snapshot of Gilded Age masculinity, athleticism, and marketing ingenuity. A tiny treasure for baseball enthusiasts and print lovers alike!

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...