Card Number 21, cut-out from banner advertising the Opera Gloves series (G29) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1885 - 1895

This promotional card for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes features a red opera glove holding a portrait. The glove, an enduring symbol of elegance and refinement, especially in the late 19th century, here takes on an active role, almost alive as it presents the portrait of a woman. The motif of the hand has carried symbolic weight through millennia. Think of the Hand of God in medieval art, bestowing blessings. Or consider its use in ancient Egyptian funerary art, guiding souls. Here, it's not divine favor but consumer desire that is being mediated. In our collective memory, the hand evokes power, control, and connection. Psychoanalytically, it could represent our subconscious desire to grasp or hold onto beauty, to possess the fleeting allure of fashion and social status. Notice how the portrait is framed, almost protected, by the glove. It speaks to the psychological power of advertising, engaging our emotions on a deep, subconscious level, suggesting that by purchasing these cigarettes, one might also grasp a piece of the depicted elegance. This is a powerful engagement that has come down through history, evolving and resurfacing to take on new meanings across historical contexts.