Farrell, 2nd Base, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Curator: We're looking at "Farrell, 2nd Base, Baltimore Orioles," a baseball card from the Old Judge series, dating back to 1888. Editor: Right, it's a photograph, essentially a print, on a small card. I'm immediately struck by the directness of it; Farrell is looking right at us, but the whole thing has this… faded, almost ghostly quality. What should we make of it? Curator: Let’s consider this photograph not as a singular image, but as a manufactured object intended for mass consumption. "Old Judge Cigarettes" produced these cards, linking the burgeoning popularity of baseball with tobacco. How does knowing that alter our interpretation? Editor: So, it’s less about Farrell, the athlete, and more about the product? The labor involved in producing the cigarette, printing the card, even farming the tobacco? Curator: Precisely. It becomes about the system of production and the commodification of leisure and athletic prowess. Think about the workers involved – the photographers, printers, factory laborers, even the baseball players who were, in a way, also part of this industrial process. Where does “art” fit in this spectrum? Editor: It’s interesting to think about that mass production. You know, comparing a hand-painted portrait of a wealthy individual to this, raises questions about the value placed on each and how art serves different social functions. Curator: Exactly! This challenges the established art world and pushes us to question the definition and meaning of art. So, what do you think of the card now, considering the materiality and means of production behind it? Editor: It's fascinating! Now I see how it reveals connections between entertainment, industry, and consumption in late 19th-century America. It seems less like a picture and more like an artifact of a specific historical moment. Curator: Agreed, seeing the object in this way gives this little card so much more resonance.