Herr, Shortstop, St. Louis Whites, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a card from the Old Judge series, a lithograph made around 1888 by Goodwin & Company, advertising cigarettes with an image of Herr, a shortstop for the St. Louis Whites. The most striking symbol is the baseball bat that Herr holds; it is not merely an object of sport, but a scepter of modern ritual. Consider the club, the mace, or the staff in antiquity – symbols of power and authority. The baseball bat takes on this role on the diamond, as it is used to determine the game's outcome. In ancient Greece, athletes were celebrated as heroes, their images immortalized in statues and pottery. Here, Herr is presented in a similar vein; his likeness reproduced and distributed. This echoes the tradition of heroism. The stance, the gaze, the very act of holding the bat—all speak to a deeper, almost subconscious yearning for triumph and recognition. This card taps into our collective memory, reminding us that even in the modern age, we continue to create and venerate our heroes.