Mabel Clark, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a photograph of Mabel Clark, from the Actors and Actresses series, created by Allen & Ginter as a cigarette card. Note the pose, a vibrant testament to Terpsichore, the muse of dance. Mabel's lifted leg and flowing dress evoke movement and freedom, a motif that dates back to ancient Greek sculpture. Consider, for example, the depictions of nymphs or maenads in ecstatic dance, their bodies expressing a state of trance. This gesture of the lifted skirt—a display of the body in motion—reappears throughout art history. Think of Botticelli’s Venus, rising from the sea, with the drapery delicately revealing her form. This symbolic gesture, deeply rooted in our collective consciousness, suggests not only physical movement but also a sense of liberation and emotional release. Mabel becomes an emblem of joy and vitality, engaging viewers on a profound, subconscious level, calling forth primal memories of dance.