Kid Madden, Pitcher, Boston, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This small card, made by Goodwin & Company around 1887, features Kid Madden, a pitcher for Boston. What strikes me is the very act of capturing an athlete, a modern hero, in a manner not unlike classical portraiture. Consider the baseball cap; it's not merely a piece of sporting gear. Think of the Phrygian cap, symbol of freedom in antiquity, re-emerging in the French Revolution. Here, the baseball cap crowns Madden, marking him as a champion in a new arena. His gaze meets ours with a stoic intensity that echoes the countenances of Roman emperors. It is a study of posture and dignity. This card, distributed with cigarettes, elevates the everyday to the heroic, intertwining sport, commerce, and the perennial human desire for veneration. The image, like memories, is layered with cultural meaning, each viewing adding to its evolving narrative.