Miss Lannon, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a photograph of Miss Lannon, part of the Actors and Actresses series for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The subject's pose, with her arm resting above her head, is an iteration of a classical motif. Consider the "Venus Pudica," where the goddess covers her breasts and genitals. Here, Miss Lannon is modestly covered, draped in a decorative cloth. This gesture appears throughout history and is a subtle assertion of virtue and alludes to classical ideals of beauty. This pose evokes not just modesty, but a complex interplay between concealment and revelation, a dance between the public persona and the private self. Over time this gesture has undergone a fascinating transformation. From religious iconography to advertising, it resurfaces, each time carrying echoes of its past. This constant reshaping speaks to the enduring power of images and the collective memory. The motifs are never truly lost, but evolve, carrying echoes of the past into the present.