John Francis Coleman, Right Field, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1887

Curator: This photograph, an albumen print, depicts John Francis Coleman, a right fielder for Pittsburgh, as part of the "Old Judge" series (N172) created by Goodwin & Company for their Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes in 1887. Editor: The sepia tone and the small size—almost like a playing card—give it such an intimate, vintage feel. He looks so self-contained and calm amidst what I imagine would have been a loud, energized environment on the field. Curator: Exactly! The "Old Judge" series used photography in a very calculated way. Cigarette cards became incredibly popular then, a form of proto-advertising if you will. To consider the labor of Coleman posing for the photograph and then the mass-production of the print allows one to think of sport as a commodity in itself. Editor: Absolutely. And the Gypsy Queen branding adds another layer. Think of the exoticized, hyper-feminine figure attached to those cigarette ads. It becomes such a pointed juxtaposition next to the athletic image of this male athlete—even the fonts and visual styles speak differently. It really underscores the gendered marketing of the era. Who were they trying to reach and why? Curator: Consider as well that albumen printing itself was not straightforward—thin paper, multiple chemicals needed, all of which means it took specific technical knowledge and material access. It positions photography at a very specific point between labor and high-end production meant to signify luxury. Editor: And to further complicate this portrait, the name is misspelled – Coleman, with one "n". It is one of a myriad of tiny details, however this is a clear and perhaps thoughtless mark in its own way—a misstep in this chain of commercialized sports. Curator: Indeed, it gives me pause to consider labor and materiality that went into circulating these images! Thanks for bringing up the spelling, I had never thought about that implication. Editor: It certainly enriches how we think about the era and these types of materials. There's a whole web of identity and consumerism wrapped up in something as simple as a baseball card!