Stemmyer, Pitcher, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is an advertisement card for Old Judge Cigarettes, featuring Stemmyer, a pitcher for Boston, made in 1887. The baseball bat he holds, poised and ready, is a scepter of a modern god. This object, once merely wood, has been transformed into a powerful symbol in the theater of the sporting field. Consider the evolution of such symbols. The staff of Hermes, a classical symbol, has become the swagger stick, a symbol of military authority. The baseball bat, like the swagger stick, gains meaning through collective action and investment. The stance of Stemmyer, the ready athlete, holds a certain tension, a promise of action to come. This posture of readiness is an echo of classical sculptures like the Doryphoros. It is through gestures and forms that we transmit and remember. This athletic figure, like those of antiquity, embodies an idealized form, tapping into our collective desire for strength and grace, forever caught in a moment of anticipation.