Michael "Mike" Joseph Mattimore, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: So, this is a baseball card featuring Michael "Mike" Joseph Mattimore, a pitcher for New York, from 1887. It's part of the "Old Judge" series by Goodwin & Company. There's something both antiquated and enduring about it, capturing this moment in baseball history through early photographic methods. I wonder, what catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: You know, it's funny, my first thought goes straight to tobacco advertising and baseball cards—a perfect reflection of the era. You’ve got this up-and-coming star immortalized as a symbol, practically stapled to an advertisement, no less! And that intense gaze… it almost feels like he's peering right through time, doesn't it? It is a remarkably forward-thinking piece, a little like pop-art pioneers to come. What about you; any hidden symbolism leaping out? Editor: Well, not symbolism exactly, but it’s striking how the sepia tones and composition lend the image a timeless quality, a bridge between the 19th century and now. It transcends being *just* a baseball card. Curator: Exactly! It is almost as though it could be an ad campaign from the twenty-first century, an incredibly successful synergy that, by chance, seems so intuitive, almost natural. I can certainly appreciate the nostalgic undertones, almost as a subtle whisper of a memory of the American ideal. What’s your takeaway? Editor: I’d say this is more than just a historical artifact, it's an accidental work of art and advertisement intertwined. Curator: Perfectly put. That convergence is where its unique charm truly lies.