Parke B. Swartzel, Pitcher, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is an interesting artifact! It's a baseball card from 1888, featuring Parke B. Swartzel, a pitcher for the Kansas City Cowboys. It's from the Old Judge series, printed for Old Judge Cigarettes. The sepia tones and the composition create a rather nostalgic and classic mood, very characteristic for its era. What strikes you most about its formal elements? Curator: Note the way the figure of Swartzel is positioned. The symmetry, disrupted only by his active arm poised to throw the ball. Consider the interplay of light and shadow. Notice how the photograph flattens the background, almost removing depth from the landscape to push Swartzel forward in the frame, making him the indisputable focal point. Editor: So, it's about how the baseball player dominates our perception through a balance of composition, light and… flatness? It seems contradictory! Curator: Indeed. Paradox can reveal deeper intent. The shallowness forces us to confront the subject directly. Observe the 'KC' lettering; the composition invites consideration of graphic design principles—form following function—in ways perhaps overlooked today, since sports advertising is inescapable. What do you think is its strongest element, structurally? Editor: I'd say it’s the man's posture – a perfect baseball card stance frozen in time, like a Greek statue but with a glove. The balance of his body seems about to burst with potential energy, yet constrained within the limited size. It really makes me wonder about the dynamic possibilities within such limitations! Curator: Exactly! The formal constraints intensify its appeal. The limited tonal range focuses the attention to detail. From its crisp graphic quality, the figure appears very deliberate. Consider the inherent aesthetic of that gesture – so precise! That itself becomes its narrative focus beyond a simple depiction of the baseballer. Editor: I hadn't considered the formal elements communicating a narrative by themselves! This has really deepened my perspective. Curator: And mine too. This compact object really exemplifies form carrying meaning and invites many readings.