Frank Sylvester "Silver" Flint, Catcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

In the late 19th century, as baseball emerged as America's national pastime, companies like Goodwin & Company promotional trading cards to boost cigarette sales. This petite albumen photograph from their iconic Old Judge series (N), dated 1887, captures Sylvester "Silver" Flint the rugged catcher for the Chicago Whiteings (today's Cubs Measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches, it's a snapshot of early professional athletics, blending portraiture with ephemera. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, delivered the sharp detail and warm tones prized in Victorian-era...

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...