Edward Hugh "Ned" Hanlon, Center Field, Detroit Wolverines, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This late 19th-century card, produced by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes, features Edward Hugh "Ned" Hanlon of the Detroit Wolverines. The image is dominated by Hanlon's confident stance, bat in hand, which speaks to the rising popularity of baseball and its players as cultural heroes. Consider the baseball bat; initially a mere tool, it evolved into a symbol of power, skill, and even aggression. We see similar symbolic transmutations throughout history, from the shepherd’s crook to the scepter. The act of wielding such objects carries echoes of ancient rites, subconsciously resonating with our collective understanding of authority and prowess. The very act of enshrining athletes in such images taps into a primal desire for heroes and figures of aspiration. The image is a vessel carrying both personal and collective aspirations, forever evolving in a non-linear, cyclical progression, to resurface and take on new meanings.