Rowing Girl, from the series "Hamilton King Girls" (T7, Type 6), issued by Turkish Trophies Cigarettes 1913

Hamilton King created this print, “Rowing Girl,” as part of his “Hamilton King Girls” series for Turkish Trophies Cigarettes. At the turn of the century, these images captured an idealized vision of femininity and the burgeoning independence of women in sports. The "Rowing Girl" embodies a tension: she is dressed in athletic attire, yet her pose and costume like presentation, hint at the constraints placed upon women at the time. The image, distributed with cigarettes, subtly links female empowerment with consumerism, revealing the intertwined nature of identity, gender, and commercial culture. The red, white, and blue echo patriotic colors, possibly referencing the growing national identity and the role of women within it. While seemingly celebratory, the print encourages us to reflect on the complexities of women's representation in media and the subtle ways societal expectations are reinforced, even in images of progress.