Alex Martins, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This small card, part of Allen & Ginter’s series of actresses, captures Alex Martins, a performer, with a cigarette, likely made to promote Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The cigarette, a symbol of modernity and rebellion in the late 19th century, is charged with deeper cultural meanings. Consider the ‘vanitas’ paintings of the Renaissance, where tobacco and smoking pipes symbolized transience and the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures. This motif reappears across time, transforming with cultural shifts. Here, however, we see a twist. The cigarette, held by a woman, defies societal norms of the time, indicating a sense of liberation and challenges traditional notions of femininity. The image becomes a complex interplay of modernity and tradition, freedom and constraint, engaging viewers on a subconscious level, inviting us to confront our own perceptions. This symbol continues to evolve, its narrative shaped by the ever-changing currents of history.