Healey, Pitcher, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: Let’s consider this card from 1887. It’s a photographic print titled "Healey, Pitcher, Indianapolis" from the Old Judge series for Old Judge Cigarettes, made by Goodwin & Company. It's so fascinating to see how commercial interests used sports figures so early on. I’m curious, what stories do you think this image tells us? Curator: Beyond being a simple portrait of a baseball player, it really captures a pivotal moment in the development of visual culture. It's interesting to consider what Goodwin & Company aimed to project. This athlete, positioned against a simple background, embodies values of the era—strength, focus, and perhaps a rugged individualism. Editor: It’s also about the dawn of celebrity culture, right? Linking athletes to a product and distributing those images widely. Curator: Exactly! Look at the ‘Old Judge Cigarettes’ inscription, like a halo bestowing validation. Tobacco companies used such images to connect their brand with aspiration, performance and a heroic ideal. The figure of the baseball player is also being established during the same time—they signify cultural ideals and societal values in a way that had not quite been established before. Editor: The player seems ready to play, yet serious and stoic, and that’s powerful. The Old Judge cigarette brand elevated Healey's status, contributing to the evolving cultural narratives of sport and consumerism. The photograph is a symbol, of marketing meeting mainstream American sport! Curator: Absolutely, it marks a distinct step towards our contemporary understanding of fame and visual branding, leaving me to ponder what future historians will see reflected back when looking at current images of sport, brand association, and cultural identity. Editor: Seeing it that way, the photograph carries layers of social and economic meanings far beyond baseball.