Pete Conway, Pitcher, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This small, sepia-toned photograph of Pete Conway, a pitcher for Pittsburgh, was produced by Goodwin & Company as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. These cards emerged in an era marked by rapid industrialization and urbanization. Here, Conway is captured in a moment of anticipation. The gaze is direct, and the grip is firm; the image speaks to the increasing professionalization of baseball at the time. But, more subtly, we can also consider the commodification of the sport. Produced to sell cigarettes, these cards blur the lines between athleticism and consumerism, between the individual and the market. And what about the narratives that are excluded? Where are the stories and images of women in sport, or of people of color? These cards, while celebrating a particular version of American masculinity, also reveal the erasures and silences of their time. The intense feeling of potential contained in this small image contrasts with the historical realities of the world beyond the frame.