Thomas H. "Pat" Deasley, Catcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Curator: Before us, we have a trade card, circa 1887, created by Goodwin & Company. It features Thomas H. "Pat" Deasley, a catcher for the New York baseball team, part of the "Old Judge" series, designed to promote Old Judge Cigarettes. Editor: There's something wonderfully mundane and striking about the materiality here; mass production and baseball converging on a flimsy card peddling tobacco. The composition is oddly endearing—stiff and slightly awkward but really straightforward. Curator: Indeed. Consider the composition: Deasley is front and center, posed rigidly, with a baseball bat at his side and his mitt at his feet. Note the framing. He's anchored, with sharp verticals in his striped uniform that counterpoint the curve of the cloud-like painted backdrop, a study in opposing forms. Editor: That backdrop, seemingly rudimentary, actually provides an interesting textural contrast with the tangible dirt where his glove rests. The emphasis feels like it's on the production line and consumerism rather than Deasley's sporting achievements. Look closely—the ink is likely cheap, the paper thin, yet it survived. Curator: Exactly. The choice of sepia-toned photography also creates a sense of timelessness despite its obvious historical context, focusing attention on the geometry of the image, its formal qualities and not just the baseball figure. Editor: It reminds us of the sheer volume of these cards produced, a product interwoven with factory labor and the rising popularity of both baseball and cigarettes. It is literally commodification, both of sport and image. The labor of capturing the photograph, printing the cards and the implied tobacco manufacturing behind them. Curator: But Goodwin and Company are clever. This photomontage operates as a cultural signifier beyond mere advertisement. It elevates Deasley through its format and composition, beyond simply a baseball figure, almost iconic, despite its modest production value. Editor: In essence, this unassuming card demonstrates the complicated interplay between the art object and the circumstances of its creation. Curator: A perfect intersection between the structural and the societal, a reminder to look beyond the immediate image to appreciate both the artist’s choices and its role in the wider social framework. Editor: Absolutely. It encapsulates labor, commerce, and sport within one sepia-toned frame, making it much more layered than it initially appears.