Charles William "Charlie" Ganzel, Catcher, Detroit Wolverines, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: This is an 1887 photographic print, “Charles William 'Charlie' Ganzel, Catcher, Detroit Wolverines,” from the Old Judge series, made for Old Judge Cigarettes, published by Goodwin & Company. It has a certain vintage charm… it looks like an advertisement, almost, but it's also capturing a real person. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Immediately, the "Old Judge" name resonates. Beyond being an advertisement, the term itself carries a symbolic weight. The "Judge" archetype represents authority, experience, wisdom... qualities the cigarette company subtly tries to associate with their product. Consider too that photography itself, still relatively new, carried an aura of truth. Editor: That's a clever connection, that idea of truth. The photo looks almost like a faded memory... Curator: Precisely! The sepia tone and slight blurring enhance this. The photograph is from a specific moment in time and has the ability to elicit nostalgia and curiosity about the culture of that era. The choice to depict a baseball player strengthens this. Baseball represents American ideals: fair play, competition, striving for excellence, teamwork. Ganzel, holding his bat with the 'Detroit' logo boldly on his shirt, embodies those values, creating a subtle endorsement for the "Old Judge" brand. How else might this idealized figure relate to broader American culture at the time? Editor: Hmm... Maybe this image of health, skill, and athleticism was appealing as America was industrializing, sort of harkening back to more... natural pastimes? Curator: Yes! The baseball player is the embodiment of health, in contrast to, perhaps, an unhealthy habit? It's quite a contradiction, really. Editor: This tension is fascinating. It also shows that these images, these cultural objects, can hold so much information about our past and maybe ourselves! Curator: Indeed! A seemingly simple baseball card reveals intricate layers of symbolism, history, and psychology at play.