Edward C. "Mouse" Glenn, Left Field, Sioux City Corn Huskers, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Curator: The piece before us is an albumen print, a portrait of Edward C. "Mouse" Glenn, a left fielder for the Sioux City Cornhuskers. It’s from the “Old Judge” series of baseball cards produced around 1889 by Goodwin & Company to promote Old Judge Cigarettes. Editor: The sepia tone gives it such a beautifully aged quality. I love how his pose and the faded backdrop almost give him this ethereal quality. It reminds me a little bit of vintage spirit photography. Curator: It's interesting you mention that. If you look at the compositional elements—the carefully considered pose, the lighting, and the soft focus—the formal presentation is absolutely about constructing a kind of... reverence. The photographic process in itself conferred status. Editor: Absolutely. This image isn't just selling cigarettes; it's selling the romantic idea of baseball and its players as heroes. Note his gaze; he isn’t looking at the camera. There’s something timeless about the determined set of his jaw. He embodies a sense of dedication and stoicism which is powerfully symbolic. Curator: I agree that his turned gaze directs the viewer to something outside of the image, thereby encouraging speculation, suggesting movement, which is an ingenious formal solution in a static, posed context. And, moreover, it mirrors a time where celebrity culture was still taking shape. To me, it says less about who he is and more about what role he fulfils. Editor: These baseball cards acted as a conduit of popular culture, helping to define masculinity, athleticism, and Americana itself at the time. We are invited into that world; consider the symbolism of the bat held aloft and how this man is placed ready to play his vital role. His stance and grip is representative of America itself poised ready to compete. Curator: It seems we converge on our points, while diverging on motivations and agency. I maintain, finally, that formal elements, photographic medium, tonality, texture, all combine in the photographic object itself. It constructs meaning from these elements as signifiers of class and intention. Editor: But I think it also speaks volumes about how we, over a century later, still grapple with our cultural heroes and icons of sport. Food for thought.