Groom, Washington, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company 1909 - 1911

This baseball card of Groom, Washington, American League, was made by the American Tobacco Company and it’s part of their White Border series. The company didn’t waste too much time on details, and that’s what I like about it! The green and blue are flat, almost printed, but the uniform has these delicate, subtle grays, like a watercolor. See how the white isn't just white? It’s got shadows and folds that give it a sense of volume. I especially like the ‘W’ on his chest, it’s smudged and blurry, as if it’s moving, like a half-erased memory. The whole thing has a kind of ghostly feel, capturing something about the fleeting nature of fame and the way images can both preserve and distort reality. It reminds me a little of Elizabeth Peyton, in the way it captures a kind of fragile beauty. It shows how even a simple image can hold so much feeling.