William Smith "Billy" O'Brien, 1st Base, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Curator: Right now, we're looking at a rather intriguing little artifact, "William Smith 'Billy' O'Brien, 1st Base, Washington Nationals," a photograph dating back to 1888, part of the Old Judge series for Old Judge Cigarettes. Editor: Ah, it’s got that old-timey baseball card feel. All sepia and serious. He looks like he’s waiting for the world to swing, doesn't he? Stoic and poised... or maybe a little weary. Curator: Well, it's interesting how you picked up on that air of seriousness, since baseball in this period was experiencing tremendous change, moving from amateur leagues to professional setups. O’Brien would have been a central figure. What symbolism or signs does it suggest to you? Editor: His stance for one. It is clearly one of guarded readiness and a sense of constant vigil. Baseball and cigarettes. Americana encapsulated, isn’t it? I'm struck by the inherent temporality—like fleeting moments caught and framed; these cigarette cards, whispers of lives momentarily held still. A little like those little reliquaries. Curator: Absolutely, but beyond fleeting moments, there is some remarkable permanence. Think about it, though—photography, gelatin-silver print technology being so accessible… It's also about capturing youth, fleeting talent, preserving an image against inevitable decline. The “Old Judge” cigarettes juxtapose a kind of cultural institution being constructed—professional baseball with the inherent fleetingness and danger of a lifestyle choice like cigarette smoking. The temporality against the enduring desire. Editor: Yes, that fragility, coupled with ambition. Also, that backdrop seems vaguely… staged? Pastoral? It feels intentionally placed there to connect O’Brien to a romantic idea of the country at the same time baseball represented the hustle of modern times. The combination of baseball and what might seem like watercolor details seems an odd stylistic match. But you can read something into the past and present there! Curator: That stage is there as this card helped with branding baseball, the very stage to build larger-than-life images. As to your perception of an odd stylistic match… Consider that “impressionism” had also entered the chat. So that blurred out of focus detail does echo painting traditions that were starting to define modern sensibilities, blurring out fine detail as a type of aesthetic. Editor: Mmh, quite a lot there if we let ourselves sit a while longer! A symbol of its age. Curator: Indeed. A curious echo across the decades and the passing generations, certainly a tiny treasure worth pausing over!