Carrie Perkins, from World's Beauties, Series 2 (N27) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This small chromolithograph, an advertisement for Allen & Ginter cigarettes, presents Carrie Perkins, identified as one of the ‘World's Beauties’ of the time. Note the elaborate crown-like headpiece she wears. Crowns, historically symbols of power and divinity, have appeared in various forms across cultures, from ancient Egyptian pharaohs to European royalty. Here, the crown, though ornate, is miniaturized, domesticated even. Its presence serves less to convey absolute power than to imbue Miss Perkins with an aura of celebrity, blending the sacred symbolism of royalty with the burgeoning culture of fame. Consider the evolution of the crown motif. In medieval religious art, crowns signified the divine right of kings, while today, you might see a similar motif adorning beauty pageant winners. This transformation reflects a broader societal shift from hereditary authority to a more democratized, if often superficial, form of reverence. This image taps into a deep, perhaps subconscious, desire to elevate and idealize. The crown, in this context, becomes a marker of aspiration, a symbol of the heights to which one might rise in the eyes of the public. The cyclical progression of the crown is a powerful reminder of how symbols adapt, resurface, and take on new meanings across the currents of history.