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

Curator: This albumen print, dating back to 1887, features Patrick "Pat" E. Dealy, a catcher for the Washington Nationals. It was part of the "Old Judge" series, created by Goodwin & Company as promotional baseball cards for their cigarettes. Editor: It's an arresting image; the sepia tones and slight blurring give it this ghostly, old-timey feel. I notice he's clinging to some kind of pole or tree, not quite the heroic baseball pose you'd expect. Curator: That's precisely what's so interesting! The framing, the athlete gripping what appears to be a prop, reveals a lot about late 19th-century performance of masculinity. The image exists in this weird space between documentation and construction. How does his posture reflect evolving ideals of athleticism? Editor: Well, trees are often associated with strength, growth, resilience—so the artist is surely evoking those qualities. His determined upward gaze signals aspiration. And then you have the brand itself, "Old Judge" printed at the bottom of the card, visually associating wisdom with tobacco use, in essence shaping perceptions, right? Curator: Absolutely! It's important to acknowledge the social and labor practices interwoven with early baseball and cigarette production, not romanticizing either enterprise. How did capitalism impact players' identity, then, since they're advertising smoking products now. Also, consider this being available in the context of gender and consumerism back in the day. Who had access to these photos, and to baseball, during that period? Editor: But don’t you think these photographs preserve something of the individual, regardless of capitalism? Look at the belt buckle detail, his slightly tilted cap. We perceive not just Dealy the baseball player, but also a sliver of Dealy, the individual. A working man now caught forever within amber light and cigarette smoke. Curator: Yes, indeed! He now forms an integral part of this historical period. This seemingly straightforward portrait really exposes complexities regarding race, class, consumer culture and evolving views on masculinity in 19th-century America. Editor: And reminds us how objects, even simple trading cards, carry immense symbolic and historic weight far beyond their original intent. It becomes a story that can be seen over and over.