Patrick "Pat" E. Dealy, Catcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: So, this is a print from 1887 featuring Patrick "Pat" E. Dealy, a baseball catcher for the Washington Nationals. It's from the "Old Judge" series of baseball cards used to advertise Old Judge Cigarettes. It strikes me as such a straightforward and stoic image. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: It’s more than just a simple portrait. These baseball cards, embedded in cigarette packs, reveal much about the burgeoning commodification of leisure and celebrity culture in the late 19th century. Consider the cigarette brand blatantly displayed: "Old Judge Cigarettes." It’s an advertisement masked as a celebration of athleticism. We must also ask about access – who could afford these cigarettes, and thus, who was consuming and constructing these early narratives of sporting heroes? Editor: That’s a really interesting point. I hadn't thought about it that way. It's not just about baseball, it's also about consumerism. Curator: Precisely. And more than that, consider the demographic. The target audience, presumably, were men. What ideas about masculinity are being reinforced through these images of strong, successful athletes? How did these cards influence perceptions, particularly for young boys, of what it meant to be a man in that era? Editor: So it's less about sport, and more about social messaging. This is helping me re-contextualize it and recognize that the cards don’t just present an image of a man. Instead, the photograph promotes constructed views of both class and masculinity in the 1880s. Fascinating! Curator: Exactly. Think of it as an early form of branding, imbuing the act of smoking with ideals of athleticism and success, while quietly promoting a certain image of the American male. It prompts us to critically examine who is included, who is excluded, and whose stories are being told and sold. What else do you see in it now? Editor: Now, I see layers of societal messaging under the surface of a seemingly simple baseball card! Thank you for the illuminating background and insightful questions about gender roles and societal views it suggests! Curator: Absolutely. By examining these artifacts, we uncover the intricate interplay of commerce, identity, and representation in shaping our cultural landscape.