Card 1, from the Girl Baseball Players series (N48, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1886 - 1888

This photographic print, created by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, presents a woman in a baseball uniform, poised mid-action. The uniform itself is a powerful symbol, speaking to a shift in societal norms of the time. Consider how clothing has historically defined gender roles, a symbolic language encoded in fabric and form. This baseball uniform, typically associated with men, worn by a woman, disrupts traditional expectations. It's a visual manifesto, echoing the calls for women's suffrage and equality that were gaining momentum during this era. We see similar symbolic inversions throughout history – women adopting traditionally male attire to assert power or challenge social constraints. This image captures a moment of transition. The woman's gaze, directed over her shoulder, invites us to consider not only where she stands but also the path ahead. It acts as a mirror reflecting our collective anxieties and aspirations regarding gender, progress, and societal change. A motif, like a persistent dream, returning again and again.