Bertie Pruyne, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This is a photograph of Bertie Pruyne, an actress, made by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as a promotional item for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Pruyne is captured mid-performance, her body arcing gracefully, one arm raised high. Consider the pose itself—a fluid, almost serpentine curve. This harks back to ancient depictions of dancers and maenads, figures consumed by ecstatic energy. The gesture of the raised arm, seen across countless eras, symbolizes transcendence. Think of ancient frescoes, or even Botticelli’s Venus, where similar gestures denote a connection to the divine. Here, in this advertisement, the gesture is repackaged for a modern age, now symbolizing the allure and spectacle of the theater. Yet, the echo of those earlier, more profound meanings lingers, stirring the viewer's subconscious. This image is a testament to how symbols migrate and transform, yet still carry whispers of their origins.