Card 647, Miss Leicester, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This delicate card, printed by Allen & Ginter, features Miss Leicester, an actress of her time, in profile. What strikes me is not just her face, but the elaborate coiffure, a towering construction of curls and waves. Consider for a moment how hair, throughout history, has served as a potent symbol of status, beauty, and identity. In ancient times, elaborate hairstyles were seen in depictions of goddesses and noble women. This careful arrangement is no mere fashion statement. It’s a constructed persona, a theatrical presentation, not unlike the masks worn in Greek drama. I think of the myth of the Gorgon Medusa, whose hair was transformed into snakes by Athena. Here, the wild, uncontrollable force of nature becomes a symbol of mortal danger. Now, observe the contrast between the untamed hair of Medusa and the tamed, controlled waves of Miss Leicester's hair. Both tap into our collective fascination with transformation, with the power of appearance. We can see the symbolic cycle constantly in motion: from the natural to the artificial, from the sacred to the profane, and back again.