Samuel J. "Skyrocket" Smith, 1st Base, Louisville Colonels, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Curator: Oh, this is quite evocative! There's a certain melancholy to it, don’t you think? Like peering through a sepia-toned dream. Editor: We’re looking at a baseball card from 1888. It features Samuel J. “Skyrocket” Smith, the first baseman for the Louisville Colonels. It's part of the Old Judge series of cigarette cards, made by Goodwin & Company. Curator: "Skyrocket," what a marvelous nickname. It definitely makes me imagine him soaring! Though the reality seems quite grounded here, doesn't it? He's hunched over, focused. Editor: Absolutely. These cards weren’t just about glorifying athletes, though. The imagery was printed and included in cigarette packs. It’s lithography based on photographic portraits – cheap, mass-produced collectibles driving consumerism through baseball stars and lung cancer. Curator: How deliciously dark! Beauty peddled alongside vice! Do you think Smith knew his likeness would be part of that transaction? Editor: Highly unlikely he had much say. The late 19th century saw a boom in mass media—photography, printing techniques—making these sorts of promotional items affordable, but at what cost? Labor conditions in factories were hardly ideal. Curator: So we’re contemplating Smith, his athletic promise potentially immortalized, caught in this tiny rectangle, even as other folks toiled to bring him to the masses! It feels bittersweet. Editor: Exactly. Consider the tobacco farmers, the factory workers printing these cards, even the baseballs they used. All tied into global trade networks, resource extraction, and the development of modern sport as a spectacle fueled by capitalism. Curator: Thinking about it that way… that photograph represents much more than a baseball player. It mirrors a system, a complex weave of industry, aspiration, and exploitation. It’s quite profound really. Editor: Yes. Next time you light up, think of Samuel J. "Skyrocket" Smith. Curator: A lesson learned— even the brightest rockets are propelled by… something else.