Inez Rae, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

This photographic print of Inez Rae, from the Actresses series, was produced by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. The subject’s gaze, slightly upturned, evokes a sense of aspiration and a longing for something beyond. Consider how this echoes the ancient motif of the upward glance, as seen in depictions of saints or deities seeking divine inspiration. The curling wisps of her hair, seemingly light and airy, resonate with the use of flowing drapery in classical sculpture to convey movement and life. In this photograph, they take on a life of their own, almost as if to suggest the presence of a spirit. It appears to be an attempt to engage viewers on a deep, subconscious level; the delicate curls and the upward gaze suggesting a powerful, almost intangible force. What is visible to us here transcends the subject. These symbols carry an emotional, cultural, and psychological weight through time and space.