Ed "Baldy" Silch, Center Field, Denver, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have an 1888 portrait of Ed "Baldy" Silch, a baseball player for the Denver team, part of the "Old Judge" series by Goodwin & Company. It's fascinating how photography was being used for commercial purposes back then – like on cigarette cards. What can we say about it? Curator: Well, consider the material context: photography, then printed and included with cigarettes. This speaks volumes about late 19th-century advertising and consumption. The photograph isn’t just about baseball; it’s about commodifying an image for profit, blurring the line between sport and industry. Notice how the production method, a fairly new technology at the time, shaped how people engaged with baseball stars. Editor: So, you’re saying the card itself, as an object produced within a specific economy, is key to understanding its meaning? Curator: Exactly! We also have to consider the labor involved in producing these cards on a massive scale. Where were these factories? Who worked in them, and under what conditions? The image of Silch connects us to a whole network of labor and production. What do you make of his pose, in relation to this production context? Editor: It seems very staged, not dynamic at all. Almost like he's a prop for selling cigarettes... Curator: Precisely. It’s a posed shot meant to be reproduced, not a candid action photograph. The material reality – its function as a collectible inserted into a cigarette pack – dictates how the athlete is represented. Editor: That is an unexpected reading – thank you. Curator: It is useful to keep materiality in mind. I hope you found that insightful. Editor: Absolutely, this was fascinating; I will consider art's materials from now on.