William Benjamin "Shorty" Fuller, Shortstop, St. Louis Browns, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes
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
63.350.215.172.1513
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling world of 1880s baseball with this diminutive yet captivating albumen photograph from Goodwin & Company's Old Judge series (N172). Titled *William Benjamin "Shorty Fuller, Shortstop,. Louis Browns*, it portrays the nimble athlete in a poised portrait, measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches. Produced in 1889 and tucked into Old Judge Cigarette packs, this ephemera exemplifies early mass-produced sports memorabilia, blending photography's precision with commercial savvy. Albumen prints, the era's gold standard for photographs, used egg whites to suspend light-sensitive silv...
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...