Sommers, Left Field, Baltimore Orioles, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have "Sommers, Left Field, Baltimore Orioles," a baseball card from the Old Judge series, created around 1888 by Goodwin & Company. It's a photograph, sepia toned and showing a posed baseball player. It seems very formal, almost stiff, given it's a sporting image. What kind of social narratives were in play when it was produced? Curator: Exactly! These cards, mass-produced as promotional items for Old Judge Cigarettes, existed within a complex network of late 19th-century commercialism and burgeoning celebrity culture. Let’s consider this “stiffness.” How does that formality, in contrast to the action we associate with baseball, reflect the broader societal pressures and expectations placed on men, particularly athletes, at the time? Editor: It's like he's performing masculinity rather than just…playing ball. I also see this image packaged with cigarettes...It gives the whole thing a 'boys club' feeling, with rigid social norms, doesn’t it? Curator: Precisely! Think about the implications of marketing athleticism and virility alongside a product like cigarettes, specifically targeted towards a male demographic. What sort of aspirational identities were being crafted, and what societal norms were being reinforced? It's critical to analyze these images not as isolated depictions of baseball players, but as cultural artifacts deeply embedded in the social fabric of the time. Are there potential intersections with class here too? Editor: Yes, totally! Baseball was becoming increasingly popular across different social classes, so advertising like this through the sport meant appealing to a broader audience. It also feels like there is something predatory about linking cigarettes to success as a sportsman, appealing to younger audiences maybe? I never thought a baseball card could have so many potential implications to unpack! Curator: It’s a rich illustration of how seemingly simple images can reveal complex socio-cultural forces at work. Hopefully it illustrates the usefulness of situating an image within a relevant historical, social, and economical frame.