Hubert B. "Hub" Collins, Left Field, Brooklyn, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have a photograph from 1888, entitled "Hubert B. 'Hub' Collins, Left Field, Brooklyn, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes," by Goodwin & Company. It's a gelatin-silver print. I’m immediately drawn to the player's confident stance and the crispness of the image. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Indeed. Note the tonal range achieved with gelatin silver. Observe the subtle gradations that model Collins' form. The photographer's skill lies in harnessing the medium's capacity for precise detail to convey not only likeness but also, arguably, the character of the subject. The placement of the figure is central, wouldn't you say? How the composition reinforces a certain ideal or expectation related to turn-of-the-century ideals about sport or manhood. Editor: Yes, the stark background and centered figure do command attention. So you're suggesting that beyond the portraiture, the very way it's staged tells a story about the values of the time? Curator: Precisely. The clarity with which every aspect of his figure, the position, and equipoise with his bat, contrasts with the more indeterminate rendering of ground. Do you perceive any tension created by this imbalance? Editor: I see what you mean. The image, despite its documentary feel, becomes an ideal, constructed through its formal choices. That contrast highlights what the photographers thought most worth portraying through careful detail. I didn't realize how much a seemingly straightforward photo could communicate. Curator: The formalism unlocks the layers beyond the apparent subject. A baseball player becomes an icon, shaped by photographic choices.