Clark Calvin "Old Fox" Griffith, Pitcher, Milwaukee, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Curator: I'm drawn in by the sepia tones, there is such stillness. It really speaks to a lost era of athleticism. Editor: Yes, let's unpack this print, made around 1889. The official title is quite descriptive: "Clark Calvin 'Old Fox' Griffith, Pitcher, Milwaukee, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes." Curator: Cigarettes, of course. Everything back then was tied to the growing manufacturing culture. Notice the "Old Judge Cigarette Factory" imprint – the commodification of sport is laid bare here. Who even was Goodwin & Company, the listed artist? Editor: Goodwin & Company mass-produced these albumen prints as trade cards. The photograph itself, and the paper it's printed on, becomes a vehicle for promoting Old Judge Cigarettes. I imagine thousands upon thousands of these were made, dispersed and casually consumed with a smoke. Curator: And consumed literally – eventually discarded. What survives carries so much symbolic weight. A pitcher in action; wind up, his gaze so steady, his focus absolute. And I love the old Milwaukee uniform, so clear it almost feels as though we are on the baseball field ourselves. Is he about to throw a fastball? Editor: Perhaps! It also functions as a symbolic embodiment of early American leisure, ambition, and physical prowess – a cultural icon distilled into a compact, portable image. His posture is everything, frozen mid-motion. A very controlled intensity is present and his glove is pristine – unlike those dirty baseballs of yesteryear! Curator: He’s the hero we want in our cigarette pack, a representative of strength. He becomes almost mythical! Even the "Old Fox" nickname hints at a kind of legendary status, right? Editor: Precisely! A player transformed into something far beyond just a ball player through strategic symbolism. Now seeing that he's not just promoting cigarettes but is actually more of a cultural emissary, I appreciate the artistry even more. Curator: A tangible relic of a very specific, commercialized, yet still romanticized moment. These kinds of pieces showcase baseball not just as a game, but an emerging cornerstone of popular culture. Editor: Right, this is an intriguing work, shedding light on the material culture of leisure in late 19th century America. It truly is worth examining for its material traces.