Kuehne, 3rd Base, Pittsburgh, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is a print titled "Kuehne, 3rd Base, Pittsburgh, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes" made in 1888 by Goodwin & Company. It shows a baseball player in a striking pose. I'm curious about the connection between baseball, photography, and cigarettes... What am I missing here? Curator: Well, let's unpack the layers here. On the surface, it's a photograph, seemingly a straightforward depiction of a baseball player. But let’s think about 1888. What was happening in terms of industrialization and advertising? The rise of mass media and consumer culture intertwined, so tobacco companies used these images of idealized figures to promote their brand. Editor: Ah, like using athletes to sell products today? Curator: Exactly, but with a historical context shaped by burgeoning capitalism and notions of masculinity and athleticism. And beyond advertising, how do we read this image in terms of labor, leisure, and early sports culture? Think about access to sporting events and participation at this time. It's far from the democratic ideal we might imagine today. Editor: So, it's not just about baseball; it's about power structures, the targeted audience, and how it all intersected. How can we apply contemporary theories to explore those dynamics even further? Curator: Yes! What narratives might this image obscure or erase about other identities and experiences during that era? Whose stories are not being told here, and why? By asking those questions, we challenge its surface appeal. Editor: That makes so much sense. Looking at it that way really expands the possibilities and lets me look at a vintage photograph in an entirely different way. Thank you. Curator: Absolutely. Keep pushing, keep questioning; the richer the conversation, the deeper our understanding!