Miss Mortimer, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This is a photograph of Miss Mortimer from the Actresses series, produced by William S. Kimball & Company. Miss Mortimer is captured in a pose that echoes the classical figure of melancholia. Notice her hand gently supporting her head, a gesture that evokes a sense of introspection and pensive sadness. This motif of melancholia, rooted in ancient Greek philosophy, reappears throughout art history. We see it in Albrecht Dürer's "Melancholia I," where the winged figure sits surrounded by tools of creation, yet unable to find solace. The gesture, laden with cultural memory, speaks to the complex relationship between genius and sorrow, creativity and despair. This photograph, though a commercial piece, taps into the same deep well of human emotion, reminding us that even in the fleeting world of entertainment, the echoes of our collective psyche resonate.