Seery, Left Field, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This is a photograph of Seery, left fielder for Indianapolis, made by Goodwin & Company around 1888 as part of a series of baseball cards for Old Judge Cigarettes. At the heart of this image, observe the baseball clasped between Seery’s hands. This gesture, hands pressed together, echoes across centuries and cultures; consider the praying hands of the devout, or the clasped hands of lovers uniting. Here, though, the ball infuses the gesture with a new, secular meaning. We see this motif evolve through history, from religious devotion to more worldly domains. The power lies not in a linear progression but in the resurgence and adaptation of primal expressions. The image, charged with the collective energy of human emotion, transcends its immediate subject, engaging viewers on a subconscious level.