Ceiss, Pitcher, Chicago, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This baseball card, printed by Goodwin & Company, features Ceiss, a pitcher for Chicago. Notice how Ceiss stands, his hand resting on his bat. This pose evokes classical statues of heroes and gods. Consider, for instance, the Doryphoros, or Spear-Bearer, by Polykleitos. The stance, weight shifted to one leg, embodies a moment of poised readiness. Ceiss mirrors this, suggesting not just physical readiness for the game, but also the ideal of the athlete. This connection elevates a baseball player to a figure of mythic importance. The hero’s stance transcends the baseball field; it echoes through millennia. Such gestures tap into a deep well of collective memory. Even if unconsciously, we recognize the weight of history in these poses. The image acts as a visual echo, resonating with our cultural memory and drawing the viewer in. Through the repetition and reinterpretation of symbols and gestures, we find an image is not merely an object of the past, but a living entity.