William Shenkel, Pitcher, Milwaukee, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Curator: This is "William Shenkel, Pitcher, Milwaukee" from the Old Judge series of baseball cards, dating to 1888. It’s an albumen print, a popular photographic process at the time, produced by Goodwin & Company as a promotional item for Old Judge Cigarettes. Editor: It has a ghostly aura. The player's image is sharp, almost haunting, but everything behind him fades. You can feel the distance, and time. It makes me think about ephemerality of fame. Curator: Albumen prints involved coating paper with egg white, which created a smooth surface to hold photographic chemicals. They were a mass-produced commodity, meant to be collected and traded, a material manifestation of the burgeoning celebrity culture surrounding early baseball. We have here the intersection of industry, leisure, and image production. Editor: Industry pushing itself onto sport! I get a real sense of that too: seeing his stance, with the baseball ghosted near his throwing hand, I see the pose, but the setting, and his serious almost stoic expression makes it seem far more about an manufactured identity, and much less about baseball, ironically. Curator: Precisely. Consider the cigarette card itself as a tool. It wasn't just about appreciating the athlete’s skill. It's advertising subtly shaping social values, aligning baseball with ideas of leisure, success, and even a certain brand of masculinity. Editor: That's right! Also considering, there's a lot of depth, especially compared to modern printing! It's the textures; I mean it's fascinating that each one holds slightly unique tones; it makes the man immortal almost. Curator: Indeed, and while seemingly humble in scale, these cards are incredibly potent documents reflecting the economic and cultural forces at play in late 19th-century America. They circulated widely, becoming accessible pieces of art within the reach of almost every demographic! Editor: It has given me so much to consider. To see sport's commercial genesis portrayed in the past like this, it brings insight into its modern iterations and more. Curator: Absolutely. Looking at the materials and the historical context really brings forward some thought about the production of fame.