Chilton Scott Stratton, Pitcher, Louisville Colonels, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the sepia tone—it lends this image, well, not gravitas exactly, but a strong sense of historical distance. The almost ghostly player... it speaks of time, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. This is "Chilton Scott Stratton, Pitcher, Louisville Colonels, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes." It’s a gelatin silver print produced by Goodwin & Company around 1888. This baseball card series represents an interesting convergence of early commercial advertising and the burgeoning popularity of professional sports. Curator: A baseball card promoting cigarettes. The blatant commercialism of health risks is…disturbingly quaint, if you see what I mean. Today, we're hyper-aware of these power structures; who gets represented, and for what gain. But in this moment, it was direct and largely unquestioned. Editor: Precisely. Consider the implications of marketing through the idealized image of the athlete, embodying health and strength while simultaneously promoting a harmful product. These images perpetuated very particular societal values – particularly around masculinity. It reflects the commercial exploitation inherent in the rapid development of professional sport as well. Curator: Tell me more. About the composition, what jumps out? Is it only the jarring juxtaposition of athletics and... well, cancer? Editor: For me, the somewhat vulnerable posture of Stratton is striking. He's captured mid-gesture, perhaps fidgeting with his gloves. The composition seems casual, but likely posed – suggesting the constructed nature of photographic portraiture, even then. I read that this image, held at the Met, serves as an invaluable resource. Curator: Ah yes. We can use an image such as this to consider not just one man’s positionality, but also to study class, gender, health, and capitalism during this time. His particular whiteness is relevant to the time, and contrasts greatly to racial exclusion within professional sports back then. Editor: The simplicity and the fact that it exists... still exists. That some kid somewhere might have held it in their hand. It's a tangible, flawed artifact of another era, reminding us of its impact and influence on our own, really. Curator: I agree. Seeing how different media operate in different times makes you consider the stakes, the risks. Thanks for sharing your point of view! Editor: Absolutely, a thought-provoking moment captured in time, literally and figuratively!