Warren William "Hick" Carpenter, 3rd Base, Cincinnati, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have Warren William "Hick" Carpenter, a baseball card dating back to 1888. It's from the Old Judge series, created by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. The sepia tone gives it a very antique feel. What strikes me is its simplicity. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, consider the materiality: a photograph printed on card stock, included with cigarettes. It's not "high art," but a mass-produced commodity. We should be asking how its means of production—photography and industrial printing—intersected with the burgeoning popularity of baseball and the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry. Think of the labor involved. Editor: I see. So you’re focusing on the social context and how the card was made, not just what it depicts? Curator: Precisely. Look at the relationship between the producers of these cards, Goodwin & Company, and the baseball players. They were creating celebrity, value and brand loyalty through the act of representing baseball players like Carpenter. How does the commodification of baseball intersect with notions of athleticism, masculinity, and the consumption habits of the late 19th century? Editor: That’s interesting. It makes you think about how we consume images and celebrity today. We often see photographs, like on these cards, as unmediated images but they were also deeply entangled with commerce and labor practices, weren't they? Curator: Exactly. And note how this card blurs lines between promotion and art, demonstrating an interesting tension between capitalist enterprise, artistic methods, and popular pastimes. What’s changed, and what's remained the same? Editor: I didn't expect to think so deeply about a baseball card! It's shown me that everyday objects can tell us so much about a specific time. Curator: Indeed! Focusing on the material conditions can offer powerful new interpretations.