Card Number 33, Vickers, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This photograph, 'Card Number 33, Vickers,' was produced around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional card for Cross Cut Cigarettes. The actress Vickers is depicted in costume holding a small bird while carrying a cage. Consider the bird – a symbol of freedom and the soul. It's a motif that has resonated since ancient times. We can trace its evolution from Egyptian hieroglyphs representing the soul to Renaissance paintings where birds symbolize spiritual aspiration. The caged bird she carries reminds me of the eternal dance between freedom and captivity, a theme echoed across epochs. Think of the caged Psyche from Apuleius’s *The Golden Ass*, who must overcome imprisonment to find love and liberation. Such images tap into the collective unconscious, evoking primal yearnings for freedom, a powerful force that continues to engage us. The motif resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings, connecting us to an emotional and psychological landscape that transcends time.