John A. "Jack" Farrell, 2nd Base, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1887

Here we see John A. "Jack" Farrell of the Washington Nationals, captured in a photograph around 1887 by Goodwin & Company, immortalized on a card for Old Judge and Gypsy Queen Cigarettes. Dominating the image is Farrell himself, holding a baseball bat. This bat is not merely a tool for sport; it becomes a symbol of power, skill, and, dare I say, a modern-day scepter. Consider the ancient depictions of heroes and gods wielding clubs or staffs, emblems of their authority. We can trace this back to the Bronze Age depictions of rulers holding weapons as symbols of power and status. The gesture of holding the bat resonates with the ways ancient sculptures held their spears or staffs. It's as if the collective memory of leadership and strength is echoed in this simple baseball card, transformed and adapted for a new age. The emotional charge of aspiration and the will to compete, is not so different from the visceral emotions evoked by more canonical heroes of the past. The past is never dead, it’s not even past.