Irene Perry as "The Humming Bird," from the series Fancy Dress Ball Costumes (N73) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

This is a trade card of Irene Perry as "The Humming Bird," made circa 1870-1920 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., using chromolithography. What strikes you first about this image is its division into distinct zones. The background is a soft, textured field against which the figure is placed. Irene Perry herself is rendered with a smooth finish. Two strategically placed hummingbirds punctuate the composition. The hummingbirds destabilize the conventional portrait through asymmetry and surrealism, but also through the semiotics of costume and performance. The bird atop her head and another at her breast disrupt expectations. This card presents a fascinating blend of portraiture and symbolic artifice. It reminds us that meaning is not fixed but is constructed through layers of visual codes.