Card 703, Madeline Lucalle, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a card from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, featuring Madeline Lucalle, its creator being Allen & Ginter. The profile portrait, a popular motif throughout history, presents Lucalle with a delicate and refined air. This artistic choice reflects the historical context, reminiscent of ancient coins and classical sculptures. The profile view accentuates certain features while obscuring others, a technique that has persisted over millennia, reappearing in Renaissance portraiture and even modern photography. Consider, for example, the Roman emperors whose profiles, immortalized on coins, broadcast power and authority. The enduring appeal of the profile view highlights our collective fascination with identity, memory, and representation. This image invites us to ponder the cultural currents that shape our understanding of beauty and celebrity.