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

This small photograph of Miss Williams was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of an advertising series for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Her most striking feature is her radiant sun-like jewel, a motif that goes back millennia. The solar symbol, often seen as a circle with radiating lines, embodies life-giving energy. In ancient Egypt, the sun god Ra was central to their religion. We also see solar symbols in the halo of Christian iconography, representing divine light and enlightenment. Miss Williams’ jewel evokes these traditions, yet it is repurposed here. The symbol of the sun has undergone a fascinating transformation. From divine representation to an element of personal adornment, its inherent psychological power remains. The association with warmth and vitality persists, engaging the viewer on a deep, subconscious level. The use of such a loaded symbol in a simple advertisement reveals how the past constantly resurfaces. The solar motif evolves, adapts, and takes on new meanings, yet its radiant power endures across time.