Elaine Mayes 1975

Mike Mandel created this small photographic print of Elaine Mayes. The baseball card format draws on the tradition of institutionalized fandom. It highlights the way that celebrity and athletic prowess are commodified and circulated within a capitalist society. The image invites us to consider the social roles attributed to women at the time it was made. Was baseball something primarily associated with masculinity? How does Mayes disrupt this stereotype? What does it mean to picture her like an athlete? As an art historian, I often use archival sources such as periodicals and advertisements to better understand the social structures of the past. By situating this image within its original cultural context, we can reflect on the ways that art challenges existing social norms, and the politics of imagery.