Charles J. "Charlie" Ferguson, Pitcher, Philadelphia, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Curator: Here we have a sepia-toned baseball card featuring Charles J. "Charlie" Ferguson, a pitcher for Philadelphia, as part of the "Old Judge" series from 1887. It’s a promotional piece for Old Judge Cigarettes, printed by Goodwin & Company. Editor: The whole thing is sort of dreamlike, hazy and… poised. Ferguson is mid-pitch, creating this strange archway with his body over another player, everything soft around the edges. It feels… antique, like a forgotten photograph from a dusty attic. Curator: "Poised" is a perfect word for it. Beyond the sepia wash that signifies "old timey," look at the framing: this baseball card reflects an era when the lines between sport and commercial endorsement were, shall we say, blurry at best. Cigarettes and athletic prowess – quite the pairing, eh? Editor: Right? The marketing strategy seems... dubious now. But framing Ferguson as both athlete and symbol reminds me how racial and class lines were rigidly policed even within leisure. Who got to play? Who got represented? And for whose profit? That casual violence inherent in late 19th century advertising stares right back at us. Curator: I agree entirely! This "everyday" image reveals so much about the societal structures that determined even leisure, so much so that you almost can forgive that Old Judge cigarettes were the original sponsor… almost! More playful observations? Editor: The card’s miniature size adds to that feeling of preciousness – as though athleticism itself needed careful curating. Ferguson becomes less of an athlete, more of a collector’s item to be preserved. And what is lost through the filter of this promotional object and time? Curator: Definitely that element of time shifts meaning so strongly. Also what are your closing thoughts on it's artistic merit. Editor: Ferguson, caught in amber…it’s unsettling but illuminating to be confronted with how easily our icons become commodified, a pointed truth still relevant now. The more things change the more they stay the same, perhaps? Curator: A fascinating image! For me this card manages to be both antiquated artifact and surprisingly timeless portrait.