William J. "Kid" Gleason, Pitcher, Philadelphia, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: So, this photograph is called "William J. "Kid" Gleason, Pitcher, Philadelphia," a baseball card from the "Old Judge" series, published around 1888 by Goodwin & Company. It's a pretty straightforward portrait, but the sepia tone gives it such a nostalgic feel, like stepping back into another era. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: The sepia is a good observation, very evocative of a time when photography was a relatively new wonder. I wonder, can we really see “Kid” Gleason, or are we looking at the *idea* of a baseball player? The Old Judge series was meant to sell cigarettes, of course, creating a connection between virility, athleticism, and tobacco. Doesn’t it almost feel like myth-making, the way the lighting focuses on his face? And look at how sturdy he stands. Do you think he has been told how to pose? Editor: Absolutely! There's a stiff formality, even though he's holding a bat. He definitely looks posed. And it is striking how selling baseball and selling tobacco became linked. I wonder what kids thought seeing this image back then? Curator: Imagine the world back then, no radio or television, baseball fame was conveyed mostly through these ephemeral images and newspaper accounts. So this small photograph acts like a little portal. Perhaps some kid stuck his photo on his wall and dreamed. What does Gleason tell us about America, its dreams, then and even now? Editor: It's fascinating how much can be read from one small image. I now wonder what happened to Kid Gleason and if he knew he was inspiring dreams by standing with that bat. Curator: Exactly! That intersection of personal narrative and cultural projection is what makes these things so compelling, right? It reminds us that every image is constructed, every story has multiple layers. And that's something we can always carry with us.