Radbourn, Pitcher, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Curator: It's quite a study, this image! We're looking at "Radbourn, Pitcher, Boston," a baseball card dating back to 1887. It was produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes, a collotype print from a photograph. And doesn’t it just breathe another era? Editor: It absolutely does. There's this almost sepia-toned, quiet determination radiating from him. The fact it was used to sell cigarettes is pretty striking too – it really grounds the romantic idea of early baseball within its commercial context. Curator: Precisely! These cards weren't just celebrating athleticism; they were integral to building a brand and selling a product. Think about how the mass media reproduction of imagery and celebrity are used today and then you see a line right back to this! Consider that this small, easily distributed card could bring Radbourn's image to a broad audience. He becomes both an icon of sport and a figure used in mass consumerism. Editor: And that stance, it is so assertive! He’s posed with his hands on his hips, a solid look and very upright. With a bit of an “I know I’m good” type feel to it. The simple lettering of “Boston” across the chest is wonderfully direct, the vintage clothing contrasting sharply to contemporary sportswear, or at least in what is popular these days. Curator: It speaks volumes about how we publicly venerate our athletic figures and how advertising, marketing, and public representation evolved together. He seems incredibly assured of himself, but the print itself feels almost delicate now – a fragile testament to the power of celebrity, commerce, and sporting excellence. The minimalism of the card concentrates our eye immediately onto Radbourn and little else. Editor: The focus on a sole figure amplifies the idea of celebrity and personal skill. It gives space to the weight that we culturally place upon our sporting heroes. But in that stillness of his expression and pose, I almost get the feeling he knows this moment in history will pass, just as anything tangible passes in time. Curator: What a remarkable point; you've given me a different lens through which to view it entirely.