Charley Mitchell, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series (N174) for Old Judge Cigarettes
1887–88
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
sheet: 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 in. (6.9 x 3.5 cm)
Classification
Photographs|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.215.174.26
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the gritty world of 1880s prizefighting with this diminutive albumen photograph of Charley Mitchell, a formidable British boxer known for his clashes with champions like John L. Sullivan. Produced by Goodwin & Company with lithography by J. Wood, this card is part of the "Celebrities and Prizefighters" series (N174) issued by Old Judge Cigarettes around 1887–88. Measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches, it was designed as an insert in cigarette packs, blending tobacco promotion with the era's obsession with sports heroes. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg-white emulsion fo...
About the Artist
Goodwin & Company|J. Wood · 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...