Marie Prescott, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 1, issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sporting Extra Cigarettes 1888 - 1892

This photographic print of Marie Prescott was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company as part of their Actresses series. Note the pearl necklace, a symbol of purity and status, encircling her neck like a halo. This echoes the way pearls have been depicted in religious art for centuries, adorning madonnas to signify their immaculate nature. Interestingly, pearls also evoke the tears of Aphrodite, born from the sea, linking her to the realm of emotions. This duality, this tension between purity and passion, resonates within the collective unconscious. Observe how the fashion and function of the pearl is repeated throughout history, appearing, reappearing, and evolving in an unbroken chain. It underscores how symbols are never truly lost but undergo constant metamorphosis.