Josie Dirkee, Erminie Co., from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 6) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This sepia-toned trade card for Virginia Brights Cigarettes features Josie Dirkee of the Erminie Co. The composition is dominated by her figure, angled across the frame, one leg perched on a decorative chair. The sepia tone flattens the image, reducing depth and emphasizing the subject's pose. Note how her costume, with its breeches and jaunty hat, blurs gender lines, presenting a playful ambiguity. It invites us to consider the constructed nature of identity. The formal arrangement is not merely decorative, but carries a semiotic weight, signaling changing attitudes towards gender and performance. This small card opens up a complex discussion about representation, identity, and the commercialization of image in the late 19th century, reminding us that even ephemeral objects participate in larger cultural conversations.