Jimmy "Loafer" McAleer, Center Field, Cleveland, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

Editor: This is an interesting find! It’s a gelatin-silver print from 1889 featuring Jimmy "Loafer" McAleer, a center fielder for Cleveland. Goodwin & Company made it for Old Judge Cigarettes. There's something wonderfully still about it, capturing a moment of anticipation. What do you see in this piece? Curator: You know, I see a convergence of worlds! Imagine: 19th-century America, where baseball's star was ascending, intertwined with the burgeoning world of commercial advertising. McAleer isn’t just an athlete; he’s a brand ambassador caught mid-motion. Look at the pose; it feels like he’s reaching for the future, or maybe just trying to catch a low liner. Editor: So, the Old Judge Cigarettes company essentially used athletes as a form of advertisement? Curator: Precisely! These cards were included in cigarette packs, like little prizes. It’s funny to think that now we have trading cards in the world of art; in their time, they would hardly qualify as that. What it says is that it really all comes down to time and our relationship with certain pieces. McAleer's moment frozen feels almost… wistful, don't you think? A tiny, sepia-toned memory. I think the cigarette companies knew people wanted those memories. It would also make this one incredibly valuable! Editor: It definitely does give off a vintage feel, so it’s no surprise this piece resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This makes me think about modern-day product placement and endorsements in a whole new light. Thank you! Curator: And thank *you* for grounding it in our here and now. Sometimes, gazing back is really about seeing where we stand today, holding tight to the baseball of our own lives!