Frederick Herbert "Fred" Carroll, Catcher, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Curator: Right, let's delve into this fascinating piece. Here we have an 1887 Goodwin & Company print titled "Frederick Herbert 'Fred' Carroll, Catcher, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes," now residing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: You know, first glance? There's a poignant stillness. Something about that steely gaze... feels like a whole novel condensed into a card. He's handsome too, the kind of chap who made hearts flutter! Curator: Absolutely, the stillness is key! But structurally, observe how Goodwin uses the rectangle format to contain not only Fred Carroll but also the advertising elements. Semiotics, in a very literal sense, shows how baseball and cigarettes became culturally intertwined back then. It really emphasizes commodity fetishism! Editor: "Commodity fetishism"—nice phrase! But the card isn't really calling me to ponder how buying things might affect me. No, that steady look says a thousand things—loneliness, anticipation, all mixed into one ambiguous gaze. And something about the tones...I don't know, I can hear the stadium roaring...sort of like a ghost! Curator: Hmm, I appreciate your emotional read on it! The tones here do highlight an interesting tonal flatness, it is interesting for its visual flatness given its goal was ultimately commercial. But notice how his uniform kind of blends into the grey background and really centers Carroll to make him 'pop'. Editor: "Pop"! Exactly, this humble card has popped for over a hundred years. This wasn't crafted with fine art in mind. No no. That's not to say it's not powerful art, mind you! It hits you viscerally and tells a rich story that a painting might miss. Curator: A perfect point. The very "imperfect" aesthetic arguably makes it perfect at evoking this old moment from the history of US Baseball and its cultural artifacts. Editor: Well, that's a home run if I ever heard one! It makes you look closer, it gives me the 'feels'... It’s all gravy, really.