Kate Uart, Corsair Co., from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a carte-de-visite of Kate Uart of the Corsair Co. for Virginia Brights Cigarettes by Allen & Ginter. Note the sepia tones and the texture of the photograph, giving the piece a warm yet faded feel. The subject is centrally posed, bisecting the composition vertically. Her figure is a study in contrasts: soft curves against the hard lines of her prop sword, a tall feathered hat against a backdrop of implied landscape. The composition uses theatricality to construct a sense of spectacle. The text at the bottom, promoting Virginia Brights Cigarettes, grounds the image in a commercial context, highlighting the intersection of performance, identity, and consumer culture. The figure, frozen in time, questions the boundaries between the stage, advertisement, and individual expression. The sepia tone aesthetic does more than portray; it evokes nostalgia, turning a common marketing card into a relic open to constant reinterpretation.