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

This small card, produced by the Kinney Brothers for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes, captures Janette Woods in an extraordinary pose. Her leg extends skyward, an echo of classical contrapposto, yet pushed to a daring extreme. This motif—the raised limb—reverberates through time, from ancient depictions of dancers and acrobats to more modern expressions of freedom and ecstasy. Think of the ecstatic Maenads in Greek art, or even the can-can dancers of the Moulin Rouge; a lineage of liberation expressed through bodily extension. The almost unsettling flexibility evokes primal feelings. One may recall the mythical creatures, half-human, half-animal, whose physical prowess defied natural limits. Here, the dancer's pose transcends mere athleticism, tapping into a collective memory of untamed potential and the human body’s capacity to surprise. Janette Woods' image is not just a promotional tool, but a small vessel carrying a powerful echo of humanity’s enduring fascination with physical transcendence.