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

This photograph of Bertha Ricci, part of the Actresses series, was issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Consider, if you will, the symbolism of her striking pose. The boots, rising high, speak of power, of domination. This motif of elevation through footwear finds echoes in antiquity, from the high boots of Roman emperors to the elevated sandals of ancient deities. There is the latent erotic charge too, of course, reminiscent of the buskins worn by actors in ancient Greece, elevating them both physically and metaphorically above the audience. Even the backdrop, a simple paneled door, is laden with meaning, a portal not just to another room, but perhaps another state of being. Ricci's gaze upward hints at aspiration, a reaching for something beyond the confines of her immediate reality. This image becomes a vessel, capturing dreams and desires.