Ed Morris, Pitcher, Pittsburgh, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This baseball card, printed by Goodwin & Company in 1887, presents Ed Morris, a pitcher for Pittsburgh. Note his raised arm, caught mid-throw: a gesture of power and control, echoing poses of classical antiquity. Consider the ancient depictions of rulers and gods, their arms raised in a gesture of command, a symbol of dominion over their domains. In Christian iconography, a similar gesture signifies blessing or divine intervention. Yet here, this symbol is secularized, democratized, embodied in an athlete, a new kind of hero for the modern age. This subtle shift speaks volumes about cultural values. The collective unconscious, ever yearning for symbols of strength and authority, finds new forms in the spectacles of sport, a reminder that symbols never truly die; they merely transform, resurfacing in unexpected contexts, imbued with the ever-evolving spirit of the times.