Cecil Calvert "Cal" Broughton, Catcher, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Editor: This is a baseball card, "Cecil Calvert 'Cal' Broughton, Catcher, St. Paul Apostles," from 1889, part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. It's an albumen print, a photograph. I'm struck by how posed and formal it seems for an action shot. How do you interpret the image in the context of its time? Curator: It's easy to see this just as a baseball card, but let’s think critically about the cultural landscape. The late 19th century was a period of immense social and industrial change, the rise of mass culture, and emerging celebrity. How do you think the proliferation of these images shaped perceptions of athleticism, masculinity, even ideas about consumerism? Editor: I suppose it was a way to idolize athletes and connect them to everyday life, particularly through consumer products like cigarettes. Did this form of representation challenge or reinforce existing social norms around, say, class and race? Curator: Exactly. Think about who was included, who was excluded, and how these images might have constructed an ideal of American identity. Whose stories were being told, and whose were being silenced? Consider too, the “Old Judge” brand, aligning athleticism with tobacco, potentially exploiting anxieties around male performance and projecting power. Is that something that seems evident to you here? Editor: Definitely, there is something inherently performative about the image, Broughton is striking a pose in this studio-like setup rather than conveying the grit of the game. That tension tells us something. Curator: Precisely. It reveals constructed realities. This photo serves not just as a record, but as a powerful tool in shaping societal values. Editor: It's interesting to see how even a seemingly simple image like this baseball card can offer insights into complex social and cultural issues. I'll definitely think about images differently now. Curator: And hopefully it will encourage a deeper examination of any cultural objects we consume daily, and how power operates in creating the historical narratives that we take for granted.