From the series "Sports Girls" (C190), issued by the American Cigarette Company, Ltd., Montreal, to promote Gloria Cigarettes 1885 - 1895

This small promotional card from the American Cigarette Company presents a woman adorned in a peculiar costume. The composition is simple: a full-length portrait set against a neutral background, immediately drawing attention to the figure’s strange attire. The costume features a combination of elements that are both playful and slightly unsettling, a swan headdress and fur trim contrast with a dark bodice and high boots. The outfit blurs the lines between human and animal, stage costume, and everyday wear. This blurring might serve to question established categories of identity and representation. Is she a swan, a woman, or a performer? The careful arrangement of these elements suggests a calculated visual strategy to capture the consumer's gaze. The card functions as a sign within a larger cultural system, using visual codes to evoke desire and aspiration. As we consider this image today, we recognize that its visual construction contributes to a broader discourse around identity, consumerism, and the fluidity of meaning in visual culture.