Tom Daly, Catcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Curator: So, this lithograph is titled "Tom Daly, Catcher, Chicago" from the Old Judge series, produced in 1887 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. Editor: Right! It's interesting how this little card, made of paper, presents a baseball player. The sepia tone and the almost staged backdrop create a sense of nostalgia, a connection to a bygone era. I wonder, what can we learn from this piece? Curator: What jumps out is the intersection of labor, materiality, and commerce. These weren't fine art prints in the traditional sense. The lithograph process allowed for mass production, linking it to the rise of consumer culture. Goodwin & Company utilized Daly's image, his labor as a baseball player, to promote and sell cigarettes. Editor: That makes me consider the act of image making itself. Was photography used to create these cards? How much human labor went into the production of this series? Curator: Most definitely. The photographic image, with all its associated labor, became raw material. Skilled workers likely retouched photographs before the lithographic process. The act of capturing, reproducing, and distributing these images mirrors industrial production processes of the time. Daly, in turn, is reduced to a commodity for consumption. Do you think his permission mattered? Editor: I doubt it! And what about the audience who purchased these cigarettes? Were they drawn to baseball or the act of collecting these cards? Curator: Probably both! Collecting became another form of consumption, fueled by the ready availability of these affordable images. Editor: Thinking about how everyday materials like paper and ink were employed for such a specific promotional purpose truly broadens the concept of "art". Curator: Exactly. It reveals art as deeply embedded in the everyday realities of labor and commerce. This has helped me to see value in unexpected places.