Michael "Mike" Joseph Mattimore, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: So this is an 1887 baseball card from the Old Judge Cigarettes series, featuring Michael "Mike" Joseph Mattimore, a pitcher for New York. It's a photograph printed on card stock. I’m struck by how posed it feels compared to today's sports photography; almost like a studio portrait. What context can you provide about its role as an image at the time? Curator: Indeed. These baseball cards served less as artistic endeavors and more as clever advertising mechanisms. Cigarette companies like Old Judge sought to broaden their appeal and visibility through association with the burgeoning sport of baseball. Consider this: mass media was still relatively nascent. To have access to, quite literally, a collectible image of a celebrity athlete served as a powerful driver for consumer behavior. These weren’t simply photographs; they were instruments in shaping public perceptions and loyalties to both a team and a brand. Editor: So it was less about artistic expression, and more about crafting a brand image? Did they use this technique a lot? Curator: Precisely. Think of these cards as precursors to modern celebrity endorsements. And yes, the practice was widespread; countless brands employed similar tactics, adapting imagery for their respective markets. What interests me is not just the commercial aspect, but how these seemingly simple images contribute to the evolving idea of celebrity and the spectacle of sport within American culture. How does this information change your perception of it? Editor: I hadn’t really considered it from a marketing perspective, more as a historical document. So, I suppose knowing it was used to build this idealized brand affects how I interpret the pitcher's pose; less candid, more constructed to influence viewers. Curator: It provides valuable context, wouldn't you agree? This convergence of sports, commerce, and image cultivation reveals how interwoven our social fabric really is, even then. Editor: Absolutely. I now see how powerful of a message this small picture had at that time. Thanks for clarifying.