Harkins, Pitcher, Brooklyn, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1890

This small photograph, printed by Goodwin & Company for Old Judge Cigarettes, captures Harkins, a pitcher from Brooklyn, in a moment of athletic anticipation. Consider the pitcher's raised arm, a gesture laden with symbolic weight. It echoes the ancient invocation, a plea to the heavens for fortune and success. We might recall similar poses in classical sculpture, like the discus thrower, or even religious iconography, figures calling upon divine intervention. This gesture is not merely a physical act of throwing a ball; it taps into a deeper psychological reservoir. It's an appeal to unseen forces, a hope for triumph etched into the collective consciousness, a primitive instinct manifesting on the baseball field. The symbol transcends its immediate sporting context, becoming a timeless expression of human aspiration, repeated and transformed across eras.