Thomas P. "Oyster" Burns, Shortstop, Brooklyn, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes
Medium
Albumen photograph, cabinet card
Dimensions
sheet: 6 1/2 x 4 3/8 in. (16.5 x 11.1 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
63.350.214.173.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the golden age of baseball with this 1888 albumen photograph cabinet card from Goodwin & Company's *Old Judge Cigarettes*, featuring Thomas P. "Oyster", the nimble shortstop for the Bridegrooms. Captured in a crisp studio portrait, Burns embodies the era's athletic ideal—poised and professional—on a modestly sized 6½ x 4⅜-inch card, perfect for collectors' albums or pockets. Produced as promotional inserts in cigarette packs, these *Old Judge* cards were the earliest mass-produced baseball cards, revolutionizing sports memorabilia in the late 19th century. Goodwin & Company, a leadi...
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...