Miss Wells in Colors of the Royal Welsh Yacht Club, from the Yacht Colors of the World series (N140) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

This promotional card for Honest Long Cut Tobacco, created by W. Duke, Sons & Co., features Miss Wells adorned in the Royal Welsh Yacht Club colors. Note how nautical symbols like anchors and rope frame her. The anchor, an emblem of hope and steadfastness, has roots stretching back to ancient maritime cultures. The anchor's presence here is not merely decorative; it speaks to a deeper yearning for stability and connection to the sea. Much earlier, the looped cross, resembling an anchor, was revered by the Egyptians as a symbol of life itself. This symbol, ever present, reappears in funerary art, signaling the soul's safe arrival in the afterlife. In this commercial image, these symbols have been repurposed to evoke the feelings of adventure, freedom, and social status associated with yachting. It is a continuous, cyclical transformation reflecting our collective desires and aspirations.