Pearl E. Larue, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This is a promotional card of Pearl E. Larue, from the Actresses series, made by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. This small card presents a photographic portrait of a woman dressed in a Scottish kilt. The photograph's most striking feature is its monochromatic sepia tone, which flattens the image, reducing depth and emphasizing surface texture. The plaid pattern of the kilt and shawl creates a complex grid that dominates the composition, a network of intersecting lines that both define the form and abstract it. In semiotic terms, the kilt signifies a complex set of cultural codes related to Scottish identity and tradition. The choice of an actress to embody this image introduces another layer of signification related to performance, gender, and representation. The photograph challenges any fixed meaning, existing in a space of fluid identity and representation. It reminds us that the meaning of an artwork is not fixed, but is continually negotiated through cultural codes and individual interpretation.