Seery, Left Field, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: Here we have "Seery, Left Field, Indianapolis," a baseball card from the Old Judge series, printed in 1887. The company was Goodwin & Co. It seems to be a photographic print. I find it interesting that they made these as advertisement for cigarettes. What is your interpretation of this artwork? Curator: For me, the card’s value resides less in its depiction of an individual player, but in its role as a mass-produced object, circulated through the commodity culture of the late 19th century. Consider the layers of production: the player’s labor, the photographer’s craft, the printing process itself, and finally, the packaging and sale of cigarettes. Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't really thought about it that way. It's not just about baseball; it's about how things were made and sold. Curator: Exactly! Notice how the "Old Judge Cigarettes" logo dominates the top of the card. This isn't simply a celebration of athleticism, but a calculated marketing strategy, leveraging the burgeoning popularity of baseball to push another product. What does the inclusion of “copyrighted” on the card tell us about commodification of images at this time? Editor: It suggests control, right? Protecting their investment in both the photograph and the player's image to prevent unauthorized reproduction and sale. So the card itself becomes a form of currency. Curator: Precisely. And that makes you think of the relationship between tobacco production, mass media, and the rise of professional sports. It is fascinating how materials tell the stories about our lives, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely! Seeing it as a product of its time, enmeshed in commerce and copyright, rather than just a picture, has completely changed my perspective. Thanks!