James J. "Jumbo" Davis, 3rd Base, Kansas City Cowboys, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This photographic print of James J. "Jumbo" Davis, a third baseman for the Kansas City Cowboys, was produced around 1888 for Old Judge Cigarettes. Note the gesture: Davis bends, hands open toward the ball, an offering, a moment before action. This posture echoes across time. It resonates with depictions of athletes from antiquity, seen in ancient Greek wrestling poses where competitors engage in a similar posture of anticipation and readiness. The focused intensity in this simple baseball card is not far removed from the dynamic tension we see captured in sculptures of athletes preparing for the games. This gesture, imbued with the focused energy of athletic readiness, persists. Like the emotional undercurrents of the ancient world, it resurfaces, revealing how these seemingly straightforward actions can be a vessel of profound human experience. This baseball card is more than a simple advertisement; it is a modern echo of timeless human endeavors.