Ed Crane, Pitcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have "Ed Crane, Pitcher, New York," an 1888 albumen print from the Old Judge series. It's interesting how it functions as both a portrait and an advertisement. What social narratives do you find embedded in this piece? Curator: This image offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersections of celebrity, commercialism, and the construction of masculinity in the late 19th century. Crane, as a baseball player, was a public figure. The Old Judge cigarette brand leveraged his image to cultivate a desirable consumer identity. How does his confident pose play into the idea of an aspirational man for that period? Editor: Well, his stance is assured, almost nonchalant, with the bat casually held and the hand on his hip. It speaks of a certain working-class swagger perhaps being elevated and sold? Curator: Exactly. It's worth considering who the target demographic for these cigarettes was. We see the rise of a consumer culture that often excluded women and people of color. Sporting heroes like Crane reinforced a particular vision of American manhood connected to physical prowess, competition, and, arguably, exclusionary social structures. Are there hints of this social stratification, perhaps reflected in the very promotion itself? Editor: The promotion itself highlights an association between sports and smoking, so an emerging urban leisure culture and… yeah, it’s hard to miss that it speaks to white, male aspirations. I hadn’t considered that the act of collecting these cards reinforced certain hierarchies. Curator: It’s important to examine the image not just for what it depicts, but also for the social relationships it helped to solidify, as it promotes consumption as a social act and potentially solidifies cultural positions. Editor: Thinking about the broader context really transforms how I see what at first appears to be just a baseball card. Thanks! Curator: Indeed! The complexities of visual culture often lie beneath the surface, reflecting the multifaceted and frequently unjust dynamics of their time.