James Laurie "Deacon" White, 3rd Base, Detroit Wolverines, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes
1887–89
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
63.350.215.172.1696
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th-century baseball with this diminutive yet captivating albumen photograph from Goodwin & Company's Old Judge series (N172), between 1887 and 1889. Titled *James Laurie "Deacon White, 3rd Base, Detroit Wolverines*, tiny card—measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches—features a portrait of the esteemed athlete in his playing pose. As part of promotional inserts for Old Judge Cigarettes, ephemera pieces blended photography, advertising, and sports fandom, making stars accessible to everyday collectors. Albumen prints, the medium here, were a hallmark of the era's p...
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...