Oliver Tebeau, 3rd Base, Chicago, from the series Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a photographic print of Oliver Tebeau, a baseball player for Chicago, made by Goodwin & Company in 1888 as part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series. Observe how Tebeau clutches the ball, his gaze meeting ours. The ball, a symbol of potential and kinetic energy, is an ancient motif, think of globus cruciger, a symbolic representation of the world held in the hand of emperors and gods, signifying power and dominion. Here, the ball is not a symbol of global power, but of personal skill. Yet, it carries a similar weight: the power to change the game's course. This transformation reminds us that symbols are not static; their meanings are constantly being reshaped by culture and context. The intensity in Tebeau's eyes speaks to something deeper: the primal desire to control fate, to master the forces at play. Like a recurring dream, the image of the ball resurfaces throughout history, each time carrying new layers of meaning.