Jack Dempsey, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series (N174) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1888

Editor: Here we have a collotype from the late 1880s, titled "Jack Dempsey, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series." It's fascinating how such a small printed card captures the image of this bare-knuckle boxer. What immediately strikes me is his stance - tense, yet almost performative. What do you see in this image? Curator: It is striking, isn't it? The image speaks to the late 19th century fascination with celebrity, but on a very personal scale, doesn't it? I'm struck by how this particular visual is an index, really, not just of Dempsey, but of shifting ideals of masculinity. Editor: Can you elaborate on "shifting ideals"? Curator: Certainly. We’re moving into an era of mass media, and here's Dempsey, the fighter, presented like a classical hero, but reproduced for wide consumption on a cigarette card. What do you make of this juxtaposition? Consider the intended consumer – someone wanting to emulate this strong figure. Think also about his name being displayed just above "Old Judge Cigarettes" - quite symbolic. Editor: So, the image is almost selling a fantasy, a connection to power through the act of consuming? The boxer represents strength, but ultimately it is linked to a product, Old Judge Cigarettes, which becomes charged with those connotations. Curator: Precisely. And who gets to possess his image? This is a printed image and the original would be more valuable and carry that cultural weight you feel looking at it now. The collotype enables people to 'own' it and carry it around with them; he is commodified. I think what interests me most is how the iconography of masculinity shifted so rapidly because of technology and how relevant it still is in advertising. Editor: That makes me think about the performative nature of these portraits as well, they’re not really 'naturalistic'. Well, thank you, this has certainly given me much food for thought. Curator: The pleasure was mine. I find it fascinating how just a single image, viewed through the lens of symbolism, reveals such a rich cultural landscape.