Dunn, Pitcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

Editor: This is "Dunn, Pitcher, Chicago," a portrait from the "Old Judge" series of baseball cards, dating from the late 1880s. It’s a photographic print, a little faded with age. What strikes me is the formal pose—it feels very staged, quite unlike the action shots we see today. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It’s crucial to remember that images like these were commodities, promotional tools linked to consumer culture. Tobacco companies used baseball players to market their cigarettes. Consider the politics of representation here. This image isn't simply celebrating athleticism; it's using it to sell a product that disproportionately affected working-class communities and communities of color. Editor: That’s a very different perspective than I had considered! It’s hard to see past the baseball player to the cigarette advertisement. Curator: Exactly! The image normalizes a harmful product. Think about how celebrity endorsements function today – what ideologies are being perpetuated? And who benefits? It is a form of soft power influencing societal choices and individual self-perception through constructed desires. Do you see the tension now? Editor: I think so. The picture seems benign, even wholesome at first glance, but you're showing me that it’s embedded in a system of commerce and promotion that had, and still has, negative social consequences. Curator: Precisely. Art and images are rarely neutral; they often reflect and reinforce power structures. Questioning their intended purpose allows us to deconstruct hidden meanings, revealing uncomfortable truths about ourselves. Editor: That's a powerful takeaway. It makes me want to re-examine every image I encounter. Curator: Indeed. Context is paramount when studying images. It can reveal powerful connections between past and present, making us critically aware citizens.