James Edward "Jim" Canavan, Left Field, Omaha Omahogs/ Lambs, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1889

This photographic print pictures James Edward "Jim" Canavan, made in 1889 by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes. The image shows Canavan poised with hands raised, about to catch a ball. The ball, a potent symbol of play and chance, hangs suspended above him. Think of the orb—apple, globe, sphere—a universal symbol across cultures representing perfection and unity, yet here, it is caught in a moment of action and uncertainty. This gesture of catching, of grasping something fleeting, echoes through art history. The image reminds me of Hermes, messenger of the gods, forever caught in motion, forever connecting worlds. Like the hero who snatches victory from the jaws of defeat, Canavan’s gesture is both athletic and symbolic. It reminds us that life, like a baseball game, is a series of catches and misses. The subconscious allure lies in the viewer's projection of their desires and anxieties onto the suspended ball. This image captures the eternal tension between potential and outcome, fear and expectation.