Clements, Catcher, Philadelphia, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: Here we have an albumen print from 1887 by Goodwin & Company, titled "Clements, Catcher, Philadelphia, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes". What strikes me is its stark simplicity; the player is posed against a very plain background. What are your thoughts? Curator: It’s interesting to consider this albumen print not just as a portrait, but as a commodity. Consider the "Old Judge Cigarettes" printed at the bottom. These weren't high art meant for museum walls; they were mass-produced collectibles included with cigarettes. The image itself functions as advertisement. What impact do you think this dual role of art and advertising had? Editor: That's a great point! I hadn't considered the photograph as a type of mass produced advertisement. Did the material itself, the albumen print, impact how these were received or made? Curator: Absolutely. Albumen prints were relatively cheap to produce at scale. The availability and affordability of this material is critical. Goodwin & Company harnessed new technologies and materials to popularize both baseball and their brand, tapping into the growing consumer culture of the late 19th century. They exploited labor to feed this capitalist desire for novelty. Does that shift your perspective at all? Editor: Definitely! It reframes the image. The focus shifts from an individual portrait to a signifier of a larger, industrialized system of production and consumption. The “art” is intertwined with commerce. Curator: Exactly. The value of this image resides not in some inherent aesthetic quality, but in its connection to a whole network of materials, labor, and commercial exchange. That's really something to consider with this piece and it's material. Editor: Thank you for bringing that perspective to light; I’m now looking at this photograph, and thinking about baseball cards, in a new light.