John Good "Long John" Reilly, 1st Base, Cincinnati, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have a rather sepia-toned image titled "John Good 'Long John' Reilly, 1st Base, Cincinnati," a baseball card really, from 1888. It was created by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. He's mid-pose, ready for a catch I suppose. There's a sort of quiet dignity to the whole thing. What stands out to you? Curator: You know, what's striking is how this little card, a tiny rectangle of commerce, becomes a time capsule. Cigarette cards weren't just advertising, they were a slice of life. A portrait, even if mass-produced, captures an essence. Reilly here isn't just a ballplayer, he's an icon, a representation of burgeoning American pastimes, a wisp of fleeting celebrity embalmed on cardboard. Do you think folks saw it as art then? Or something disposable? Editor: That’s a fascinating question! I’d guess disposable. But today, finding it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art definitely elevates it. Though, I can't help thinking about the context… cigarettes… this charming portrait was essentially advertising something that kills. Curator: Ah, yes, the delightful paradox. That dissonance makes it even more compelling, don't you think? It challenges our own romanticized view of the past, throws a curveball, if you will, into how we interpret history through objects. Does this complicate, perhaps, the initial "dignity" you perceived? Editor: Absolutely. It's not so simple, is it? Seeing the portrait detached from that advertisement, it becomes easy to miss the connection to Big Tobacco and how insidious that was even back then. Curator: Precisely. It reminds us to look closer, to ask more questions, to be a little wary of those nostalgic sepia tones, right? Every image whispers stories – some are heroic, some… not so much. Editor: This was so insightful. I'll definitely view historical images differently.