Daniel Webster "Dan" Shannon, 2nd Base, Omaha Omahogs/ Lambs, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Curator: This is an albumen print dating back to 1888, entitled "Daniel Webster 'Dan' Shannon, 2nd Base, Omaha Omahogs/Lambs," produced by Goodwin & Company for the "Old Judge" cigarette series. Editor: Immediately striking is the pose—so casual, almost languid. The baseball player, Dan Shannon, is prone, staring right at us. It subverts the typical heroic athlete image. Curator: Yes, and its significance lies in the way it intersects popular culture and early advertising. These cards weren't just portraits; they were premiums, incentives to purchase Old Judge Cigarettes. The images were mass-produced, entering the cycle of consumption and becoming objects of trade. It captures the advent of baseball as both labor and performance and illustrates how capitalism began to shape athletic bodies. Editor: Absolutely. Formal considerations add to this. The tonal range, those sepia hues—they give it an antique feel but also a strange timelessness. The composition directs our eyes toward Shannon's face and reinforces that sense of direct engagement. There is minimal background to ground the space, only shades of brown in a horizontal orientation. Curator: We see the evolution of photographic technology, the mass production enabled by advancements, but also the exploitative labor practices inherent in cigarette manufacturing. The commercial context cannot be overlooked. Editor: Indeed, there's tension created between the sharp details of his face and the overall softness of the image. He's individualized, yet also part of a manufactured commodity. I find it creates an affecting dichotomy. Curator: Reflecting on this image, I am most aware of its production and the web of industry that made such fleeting representations available. Editor: For me, it’s how this object made from paper and chemistry presents itself as a portrait frozen in time—simultaneously an everyday object and an iconic image.