John E. "Scrappy" Carroll, Right Field, St. Paul Apostles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Curator: This is a baseball card from 1889, part of the Old Judge series produced by Goodwin & Company. It features John E. "Scrappy" Carroll, a right fielder for the St. Paul Apostles. Editor: The sepia tone and the way he holds the bat almost ritualistically gives it the feel of an old photograph from a family album – one tinged with pride and the golden age. Curator: Exactly. These cards weren't just images; they were manufactured collectables inserted into cigarette packs as a marketing tactic. Consider the means of production—photography combined with printing technology, all to sell more cigarettes. And "Scrappy" Carroll himself becomes a commodity in this exchange. Editor: And yet, even mass-produced, the image holds a heroic aura. Look at the belt cinching his waist, dividing his body like an ancient warrior's armor. Baseball uniforms signified belonging and aspirations during a burgeoning era of organised sport. It’s a carefully constructed iconography of the athlete as a figure to be emulated. Curator: And look closely, notice the wear, the tiny creases. These weren't kept in pristine display cases; they were traded, collected, handled, subjected to wear and tear by working class men and boys—part of everyday culture and commodity circulation. The materials speak volumes about how the image circulated. Editor: I am drawn to the fact he is holding the bat across his body; it gives a feeling of pause and thoughtfulness, which contrasts sharply with the rough and tumble nature associated with baseball. There is something almost passive and waiting there – maybe hope too. It almost invites the viewer into the stadium. Curator: Right, its impact lies in its everyday function within the rise of consumer culture. It's a tiny, paper-based object imbued with social significance— reflecting baseball, commodification, and a specific moment in American history. Editor: I’ll be thinking about how, as an image, it straddles the line between commercial product and evocative portrait for some time. Curator: Agreed; it gives new dimension to thinking about these cards in terms of their original circulation and use.