Healey, Pitcher, Indianapolis, from the Old Judge series (N172) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887

This 1887 photograph by Goodwin & Company, part of the Old Judge Cigarettes series, captures baseball pitcher Healey of Indianapolis. Note his gloved hands clasped gently before him. This gesture, a posture of contained readiness, echoes across centuries. We might recall images of supplicants in Renaissance art, their hands similarly clasped in prayer, or even the composed stance of ancient statues, embodying a poised tranquility. But observe the subtle shift. Here, Healey’s gesture isn't of subservience or piety, but of anticipation, a coiled spring of athletic prowess. The collective memory of such hand gestures, laden with centuries of meaning, informs our reading of this baseball player. He’s not merely an athlete, but a figure imbued with a deeper, almost ritualistic significance. It is a symbol that continually resurfaces, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different contexts.