Parke B. Swartzel, Pitcher, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: So, this is an albumen print from 1888, a baseball card really, featuring Parke B. Swartzel, a pitcher for the Kansas City Cowboys. It has a very sepia tone and this stiffness that makes me think about how sports were gaining popularity as a commercial venture. How do you interpret this work in that context? Curator: The interesting thing about this card is its explicit connection to consumer culture. It wasn't just about celebrating athletes, it was literally distributed with Old Judge Cigarettes. Consider how the late 19th century saw a surge in mass media and advertising. Baseball, becoming America’s pastime, provided perfect subjects to promote a particular lifestyle, to shape perceptions and cultivate a national identity through imagery. Do you think that pairing impacted perceptions of baseball? Editor: Absolutely! By associating baseball with cigarettes, it intertwined health, leisure, and status in ways we now find bizarre. The card functioned as both a collectible and an advertisement, cleverly building brand loyalty. This image wasn't just about celebrating the sport. It was also about celebrating a very specific version of American manhood through consumption. Curator: Exactly! Furthermore, consider the context of photography. As a relatively new medium, photography lent a sense of "realness" to the advertisement. These cards, mass-produced and widely circulated, played a critical role in democratizing images and in constructing the image of baseball as a modern spectacle. The player appears directly engaged, and the photo brings baseball close to people, through these capitalist infrastructures. Editor: It’s amazing how a simple baseball card can reveal so much about the era's social and commercial landscapes! I never thought about these small artifacts playing such an active role. Curator: And how they continue to influence our perception today! It reminds us to question the constructed narratives behind seemingly innocent images.