Jeremiah J. "Miah" Murray, Catcher, Washington Nationals, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This is a photographic print of Jeremiah J. "Miah" Murray, a baseball catcher for the Washington Nationals, captured around 1887 by Goodwin & Company. The image is deceptively simple, yet Murray’s pose evokes something deeply primal. Consider his stance: the body tensed, one arm raised as if ready to strike or defend. This posture reminds us of archaic images of warriors and hunters, figures poised at the precipice of action. Across millennia, from ancient cave paintings to Renaissance sculptures, we see echoes of this readiness. The gesture transcends mere athletic preparation, touching upon a universal, perhaps subconscious, anticipation of conflict or opportunity. Even the baseball itself, seemingly innocuous, carries weight. In ancient rituals, spheres were symbols of totality, of the cosmos. Here, the ball becomes a focal point of collective hopes and fears, charged with the potential for victory or defeat. This image, therefore, is not just a portrait of a baseball player; it's a modern echo of age-old human dramas.