Martin F. "Duck" Duke, Pitcher, Minneapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This evocative photograph by Goodwin & Company, part of the "Old Judge" series from 1889, captures Martin F. "Duck" Duke, a pitcher from Minneapolis. It speaks to the burgeoning world of sports and its symbolic representation in popular culture. Consider the act of throwing; the pitcher's poised arm and the focused intensity mirrors the heroic gestures seen in classical sculptures of athletes and warriors. It is an age-old echo of the human form at the height of action. This gesture transcends mere physical activity, resonating deeply with our collective memory. Think of David launching his stone, or Zeus casting a thunderbolt—the act of throwing embodies power, intent, and the potential for dramatic change. As it resurfaces here, it shifts to capture a new kind of hero—the celebrated athlete of the modern age. It is how symbols, like echoes, continually resurface, transformed by time and context, yet forever tethered to their primal origins.