McCormack, Center Field, St. Louis Whites, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: So this is an 1888 photograph from the Old Judge series, featuring J. McCormack, a center fielder for the St. Louis Whites. It’s a really straightforward image, a posed shot in a studio it looks like. What jumps out to you about this piece? Curator: What I find compelling is thinking about how this image participates in the commodification of not only baseball but also masculinity. Here we see McCormack, posed in a manner meant to convey strength and athleticism, yet this image is ultimately an advertisement for cigarettes. Editor: That’s interesting. It’s like two very different industries are merging. Curator: Exactly! This conflation speaks volumes about the values being projected onto the consumer: linking athletic prowess with addictive substances. This image naturalizes a relationship between smoking and being a 'man' that can then have effects on the body and the image a Black man or person has about themself, don’t you think? Editor: I see your point. It does reinforce a very specific and limited idea of what it means to be a successful man in that era, very subtly telling the consumers that they should pursue this very damaging habit to embody these values. Curator: Right, and think about who had access to baseball and cigarettes, and the implied exclusivity, and how they’re connected. The circulation of this image helped to solidify cultural norms around race and gender that had serious implications at the time, and continue to. Editor: I never considered how much was embedded in such a simple image. It really makes you question what other hidden agendas exist within popular media of the time and if that still persists today. Curator: Precisely! Examining these historical artifacts helps us understand the deep-seated power structures that continue to shape our society. Editor: This gives me a whole new perspective to look into and definitely change my focus on how I analyze historical materials.