If there were no baseball cards, would baseball become a national pastime in America?

Today, collectors are most likely to think of baseball cards from the 1950s, when the collection was in its heyday. These cards put a happy end to a thriving sport, which is gaining a lasting foothold on TV. Imagine Mickey Mantel or Willie Mays appearing on the cards of that era, and you will think of a bright smile and a carefree afternoon.

Now is the heyday of the card, and the chewing gum that comes with the card is wrapped in crumpled packaging. The universal ceremony of every childhood must be the moment when mother cleans the closet and throws away the respected baseball card collection.

But the cards at the end of 19 and at the beginning of 19 play different roles. When few people can visit the stadium, these cards provide the only real connection between the fans (usually a little boy) and the players. It seems strange that the first card is such a draw, because the first famous brand, called the old judge card, was first released in 1887, which is very simple and hardly represents aimless childhood. When posing in the studio, the actors are stiff and distant, and the background sketches are often the same. Reading Peter Devereaux's book The Game Face: The Library of the Congress, a rich new history, which was extracted from the Smithsonian Book in June+10/October, 5438, readers clearly know that if cards continue to develop in this monotonous way, the hobby of collecting may never disappear.

The baseball player slipped into base, said De Freaud, editor and editor of the Library of Congress. He often has a surprised expression, maybe he says, because they are afraid when the flash goes out. When the players posed to hit the baseball hanging on the rope in the studio, they didn't show any interest or whimsy. Lew Lipset, a famous collector and dealer, was nicknamed "the old judge". He said that the old judge cards can stand the test of time because "they are of historical significance. They are really the first serious games.

Game face: The early baseball card game face of the Library of Congress is a rich and fascinating history of baseball cards, and the way it shows and influences the whole American culture. For people who love baseball, this is a must.

I bought the cabinet suits of old judges, including shortstop John Montgomery Ward of the New York Giants (see above), and exchanged them for coupons from cigarette packages. (Library of Congress, Benjamin K Edwards Collection) The rapid popularity of baseball card collection is partly due to the photographer Paul Thompson in the early 20th century. Around 19 10, Thompson worked as a freelancer in new york, and his photos were the basis of many artworks on cigarette cards. These tobacco problems have pushed baseball cards to the forefront of American collections.

The most important thing is the image itself, which works. De Freaud described Thompson's portrait as "a simple and direct photograph of the head and shoulders". The players look straight into the camera, and their expressions often reveal the hard life they have led. Thompson worked as a sports editor in new york Evening News and later transferred to Sports News Illustrated. But it was his work for American writer Mark Twain that earned him $65,438+0,000, which provided him with the wealth he needed to set up his own photography studio in lower Manhattan. The tobacco company hired him to make baseball cards, and De Freaud said that he "preserved his photographic legacy."

Mike Slater, New York Giants, Old Judge Cabinet, N1731888-1889 (Benjamin K. Edwards Collection, Library of Congress), Albert Boothon, Ketcher, Brooklyn Tramway Dodge and Brooklyn groome, Old Judge Cabinet, N/kloc. Scott stratton (Library of Congress), pitcher and outfielder, Louisville Colonel, old judge's cabinet, N1731888-1889 (Benjamin K. Edwards Collection, Library of Congress) Elton's Refrigerator is rude and not in a game. Many experienced collectors may say that 1887 cards are still collected until World War I, which usually has little to do with value. The cards of the past era are simple, earnest, full of energy, straightforward, naive, bold and fragile at the same time. If the new cards have better production value, these retro cards have spirit and soul. Early 20th century

Baseball cards provide the biggest advertisement imaginable for this sport: they make it easy. These cards provide an important link from horse racing to boxing, allowing sports to occupy a place in the spiritual world of the country. Tobacco cards can also make the game of a man who is often noisy, vulgar and often uneducated more popular with the audience, and promote it when the game is still in its relatively initial stage. Facts have proved that this small propaganda tool is more effective than anyone expected in these aspects.

John N.McMurray will visit the Smithsonian Institution on 20 18 10, and jointly hold an evening program with the Smithsonian Institution to discuss the ins and outs of the World Series and wonderful historical replay. Buy tickets here