Fred "Sure Shot" Dunlap, Captain, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Curator: We're looking at a striking photographic print from 1888, a portrait of Fred "Sure Shot" Dunlap, captain of the Pittsburgh baseball team. It's part of the "Old Judge" series of baseball cards distributed by Goodwin & Company. Editor: It's… evocative. The sepia tone lends an air of distant memory, almost dreamlike. There's a stark simplicity; it highlights the athleticism, while suggesting the burgeoning hero-worship surrounding early baseball figures. Curator: The gelatin-silver print process would have allowed for mass production, connecting this image to the wider consumer culture and emerging advertising industry. Imagine the labor involved in producing and distributing these cards with packs of cigarettes! The commodification of sport, almost in its infancy here. Editor: But consider the iconographic value! He is literally frozen in a powerful stance, almost like a classical hero. Look at how his silhouette mimics triumph, suggesting dominance and precision. This photograph immortalizes him; he's elevated to symbolic status within American sport culture. Curator: And the symbolism extends to the advertising. Linking his image to “Old Judge” cigarettes implies association between his sporting prowess and sophisticated consumption. Advertising insinuates Dunlap and, by association, its smokers embody qualities of strength, skill, and victory. This intertwining of athletic performance and cigarette consumption highlights emerging capitalist markets that were still rapidly in the making. Editor: Indeed. He becomes more than a baseball player; he transforms into an ideal, embodying both athletic excellence and, by extension, aspiration. Notice the faded texture too, giving an authentic patina of history! It emphasizes cultural memory, reminding us that even ephemeral materials—like cigarette cards—can accumulate meaning and significance over time. Curator: Absolutely, and it allows us a valuable glimpse into production and materials! Consider how different access would have been to photograph a professional sportsman, versus how easily we consume imagery today. It underscores the deliberate construction of Dunlap's image. It asks what exactly was deemed fit to photograph in those burgeoning media markets! Editor: True! It bridges art and the everyday—a portable idol printed for mass consumption, yet also a relic that still communicates so vividly about heroism and nostalgia. Curator: Yes, revealing how capitalist structures can actively shape even something as apparently harmless as sporting portraiture. Editor: A compelling blend of cultural mythology and photographic craft.