Myers, Catcher, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

Editor: This is "Myers, Catcher, Indianapolis" from the Old Judge series for Old Judge Cigarettes, created in 1887 by Goodwin & Company. It’s a sepia-toned photograph on a small card. He seems a little stern, doesn’t he? What stands out to you about this image? Curator: I think the photo opens a really fascinating window into the commodification of sports and celebrity in the late 19th century. Consider the way Myers, a working-class athlete, is being used to sell a product like Old Judge Cigarettes. What does it tell us about the emerging cult of celebrity at the time, and how were images like this circulating and influencing perceptions of masculinity, labor, and leisure? Editor: So, it’s not just about baseball, but about marketing and identity? Curator: Absolutely. And the very act of distributing these images within cigarette packs suggests a certain social currency. Who was collecting these? Were they predominantly white men? How does the image contribute to the construction of a specific, perhaps exclusive, identity associated with consuming both baseball and cigarettes? Furthermore, the name "Old Judge" alludes to authority and judgement – whose authority is being invoked here, and what values are being judged as "good?" Editor: It’s making me think about who gets to be represented and how. It’s like an early form of branding a lifestyle. Curator: Precisely! And within that framework, who is excluded, and what narratives are being silenced or marginalized? We can unpack so much from this seemingly simple portrait. Editor: I never thought about baseball cards that way before. Seeing it as a way to promote a certain male identity changes everything. Curator: Exactly. Analyzing historical images within their social and political contexts enables us to reveal those hidden layers.