Caruthers, Pitcher, Brooklyn, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have a baseball card featuring Caruthers, a pitcher for the Brooklyn team, produced in 1888 by Goodwin & Company as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. It's an albumen print, so the sepia tone gives it this lovely, aged quality. He's caught mid-throw, and there's something iconic about it. What do you see in this piece beyond a simple portrait? Curator: For me, it resonates with layered symbols. Look at how the baseball, held aloft, becomes almost a sun or orb – an ancient symbol of power, now transposed to the field of play. And consider the baseball uniform. Note its resemblance to military uniforms of the era: a coded visual language. These young men were, in a way, gladiators, performing for the burgeoning spectacle culture. It represents this powerful symbol of American Identity: the baseball player. It transcends a portrait and touches something profound. What does his stance tell you? Editor: Well, his stance looks ready for action, determined... also it evokes the past in a strong way because it reminds us of how long the sport of baseball has existed. Curator: Exactly! And doesn't the very act of circulating these images with cigarette packages further inscribe him – and, by extension, baseball – into the everyday rituals of late 19th-century America? In essence, the Old Judge Cigarettes packaging gave these young men their "icon" status. Editor: That's fascinating. It's more than just advertising. It's almost nation-building through imagery. So would this mean baseball’s “heroes” or symbols are manufactured or symbolic through advertising? Curator: A little from column A and B... a complicated intersection of commerce, culture, and identity construction. It demonstrates how everyday images can encode powerful messages that influence how the nation viewed baseball in the 19th century. Editor: Wow, I never thought of it that way! I’ll never look at a baseball card the same again.