Billy Edwards, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series (N174) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1888

Editor: This is "Billy Edwards, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series (N174) for Old Judge Cigarettes," created between 1887 and 1888 by Goodwin & Company. It appears to be a photograph with some sort of drawing or printing overlay, possibly for commercial purposes. What I notice immediately is how stark the figure is against the blurry background; what do you see? Curator: Initially, I'm drawn to the formal arrangement: the juxtaposition of sharp photographic detail against the suggestive blur. Note how Edwards’s body occupies a dynamic diagonal axis, countering the verticality of his posture. It creates tension and imbues the image with a sense of contained energy. What do you make of the figure's ambiguous relation to the flat plane of the print versus his photorealistic detail? Editor: The combination is a bit jarring. The sharpness of the figure makes it feel like he could leap out, yet he’s also trapped by the photographic print itself. Almost like he’s performing for a crowd who won't know the moment it’s gone. Curator: Precisely. We must consider the semiotic relationship at play here. Is it possible that through stark presentation in mass produced photogravure, we find elevated cultural consideration that exists at this transitional state? Editor: I see what you mean! By extracting this athlete, we now allow Billy Edwards to be "the boxer" archetype through careful abstraction. I hadn't considered the value afforded from an element extracted from photograph and set into print this way. Curator: Yes, by understanding these methods, it enriches how we might understand not only "Billy Edwards," but other photographic studies and their relationship with popular culture too. Editor: Thank you for pointing out how these techniques influence the reading of this series! I'll be thinking more about those juxtapositions from now on!