Seery, Left Field, Indianapolis, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: This albumen print from 1887, titled "Seery, Left Field, Indianapolis," is a promotional baseball card made by Goodwin & Company. It’s sepia-toned, showing a baseball player posed formally with his arms crossed. The lighting seems stark, highlighting every detail. What social narrative might this image reveal? Curator: Exactly. It’s easy to see this as just a historical photograph, but it’s critical to situate this image within the labor politics and celebrity culture of the late 19th century. What does it mean to commodify an athlete's image in connection to products like "Old Judge Cigarettes?" Think about the social implications – who had access to these images, who consumed them, and what messages were they reinforcing about masculinity and leisure? Editor: So, beyond being a baseball card, it’s about power and visibility? The company profits off Seery’s image to sell a hazardous product. Curator: Precisely! It's also useful to consider the relationship between photography and representation. Who had the power to create and disseminate these images? Whose stories were being told, and whose were being erased or distorted? Were the players fairly compensated? Editor: I hadn’t considered those nuances. The image now makes me think about the ethical responsibilities of image-making and commercialization. Curator: Exactly! This image isn’t just a relic of the past, but a site where we can excavate the complex intersection of labor, leisure, and power in American history. What new layers of inquiry are suggested through this lens? Editor: Definitely gave me new ways to look at it. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It's about constantly re-evaluating what we think we know, and pushing for a more equitable and nuanced understanding of history.