Card 308, Marie Burroughs, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This sepia card, made by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, captures the actress Marie Burroughs in what seems to be a moment of contemplation. Notice her hand; it’s a gesture that echoes across centuries. The raised hand, fingers slightly flexed—it appears in ancient Roman oratory, signifying eloquence, and we see it again in Renaissance depictions of saints, embodying divine grace. Yet, here, the context shifts: it is a moment caught between performance and persona. Is she about to deliver a line, or is this merely a pose for the camera? Consider how gestures transcend their original meanings, becoming potent symbols in our collective unconscious. This subtle movement speaks volumes about the power of the theater. Burroughs’s gesture, though simple, taps into the deep well of human expression, a cycle of recurring motifs shaping and reshaping our emotional landscape.