Ceiss, Pitcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century baseball with this tiny treasure: an 1887 albumen photograph titled *Ceiss, Pitcher, Chicago*, from Goodwin & Company's iconic Old Judge series (N). Produced as promotional inserts for Old Judge and Gypsy Cigarettes, this pocket-sized portrait (just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches) captures the stern gaze of Ceiss, a pitcher for the Chicago team, the sport's explosive rise in popularity during baseball's formative professional era. Albumen prints, the medium here, were the gold standard of photography in the 1880s, using egg whites to bind light-sensitive si...

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...