Cecil Calvert "Cal" Broughton, Catcher, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Curator: The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds in its collection this small albumen print from 1889, featuring Cecil Calvert "Cal" Broughton of the St. Paul Apostles. It's part of the "Old Judge" series of baseball cards. Editor: It feels like a staged tableau rather than an action shot. He's posed, ready to catch, but the backdrop is utterly devoid of context. It really emphasizes the individual athlete, but without much supporting narrative, don’t you think? Curator: That's right. These cards, produced by Goodwin & Company, were inserted into cigarette packs as a marketing strategy. It’s an interesting intersection of burgeoning commercialism and early baseball fandom. Each card aimed to promote both the athlete and the cigarette brand, embedding baseball deeply into the popular culture. Editor: It is strange seeing an athlete become a commercial tool. I find the lack of diversity concerning; were there even Black players then? Curator: While baseball was rapidly gaining popularity, racial segregation was very real. These cards predominantly, if not exclusively, featured white athletes, reflecting the widespread discriminatory practices embedded in the sport and in broader society. So these photographs act as markers of both popular culture and exclusionary practices of the era. Editor: So, looking at this another way, its subject reflects the entrenched biases within American society at the time. How this seemingly benign collectible can unpack issues of race, labor and advertisement! What a rich photo! Curator: Absolutely. While seemingly simple, this baseball card opens a window into the complexities of its time—revealing intertwined threads of sport, commerce, and societal inequality. It forces us to question what’s included, what's excluded and to consider the historical circumstances under which those choices were made. Editor: This little image certainly demands that we see more than just a baseball player, doesn't it? Thank you for clarifying its broader context.