Burns, Shortstop, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is an intriguing piece! "Burns, Shortstop, Baltimore Orioles," a baseball card from 1888 by Goodwin & Company, designed to promote Old Judge Cigarettes. It looks like a photograph that's almost been sketched over. It’s sepia-toned and really evokes a feeling of nostalgia. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: Nostalgia is right, it's practically steeped in it, like an old photograph found in a dusty attic. The blurred landscape in the background almost melts away, placing all emphasis on Burns, our man frozen in time. Isn't it funny how something so small - originally a tobacco card, can evoke such grand feelings about bygone eras? Editor: It's a bit smaller than I imagined it would be! Is that deliberate? Curator: Size does matter, my friend, especially when it comes to accessibility. These were meant to be collected, traded, slipped into pockets… intimate objects spreading the gospel of baseball (and tobacco). Think about the 'pop' art movement a few decades later! A tiny icon, replicated. So, who was Burns, do you suppose? A superstar, a journeyman? Editor: Well, the card identifies him as a shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles, so he must have been fairly well known at the time, right? It also gives a bit of realism through photography, while at the same time its portrait style romanticizes the image! Curator: Absolutely! It captures a moment, a presence, imbuing him with an almost mythical status. Consider how carefully posed he is: The way he holds his bat. Every detail designed to create a memorable impression, a little piece of immortality. Do you think it succeeded? Editor: Definitely. Looking at it now, over a century later, we're still talking about him. It is, at least for a little bit of time, a testament to something much larger. Curator: Indeed. Sometimes the smallest things leave the biggest marks. Thanks for sharing in this reflection!