Forward Wheel Swing, from the Gymnastic Exercises series (N77) for Duke brand cigarettes 1887

This turn-of-the-century lithograph advertisement presents a woman performing a gymnastic exercise. The wheel swing is an ancient motif linked to cycles and fortune, here imbued with the modern era's fascination for physical culture. Consider the wheel, an archetype found across cultures, from the Buddhist Dharma wheel to the Wheel of Fortune. This symbol of cyclical change and destiny resurfaces here in a seemingly mundane advertisement. It’s a fascinating echo, a subtle link to a deeper, shared human understanding of fate. But this isn't merely a depiction of physical prowess. It carries an undercurrent of societal shifts and the evolving role of women, suggesting freedom and capability. It reminds us that images, like memories, are not static. They transform, accumulate layers, and reflect our ever-changing world.