Thomas H. "Pat" Deasley, Catcher, New York, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This small card, published by Goodwin & Company in 1887, depicts Thomas “Pat” Deasley, a catcher for the New Yorks, caught in a moment of anticipation on the baseball field. Look at the catcher’s mitts, held up in front of his chest—a gesture of readiness, but also of protection. One can trace such gestures back through time; the raised hands of supplicants in ancient Roman frescoes, or the protective stance of a medieval knight raising his shield. They all speak to a deeply embedded need for safety in a chaotic world. Consider the psychological weight of this pose: the tension between vulnerability and preparedness. It echoes across centuries. This is a gesture not just of sport, but of a deeper human experience, a physical manifestation of hope and fear passed down through generations. Thus, even in this humble advertisement, we see the echoes of universal human gestures.