Hugh N. "Little Nick" Nicol, Right Field, Cincinnati, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1888

This photographic card, made by Goodwin & Company, presents Hugh Nicol, a right fielder for Cincinnati. We observe Nicol bent low, arms outstretched in a gesture of anticipation – ready to catch or field a ball. This pose is not merely athletic, but a study in readiness. Consider this gesture of anticipation, of hands outstretched: how often have we seen it mirrored in art? Think of the orant figures in early Christian catacombs, arms raised in supplication, or even the beckoning hands of a dancer, inviting the viewer into their world. The gesture bridges the sacred and the secular, the athletic field and the spiritual realm. Such postures resonate deeply, tapping into our collective memory. The outstretched hand, a universal symbol of offering, asking, or receiving. It embodies a primal yearning to connect, a visual echo that reverberates through centuries, forever altered yet eternally familiar. It speaks to the non-linear, cyclical nature of symbols, resurfacing and evolving across time.