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

This small photograph by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, part of the Actresses series, presents Annie Martell seated elegantly in a chair. Consider the chair itself. It is more than just a prop; it's a throne. The ornate ironwork echoes patterns seen in ancient Roman friezes, where power and status were communicated through elaborate seating. This motif of the elevated figure, literally raised on a constructed support, appears throughout history – think of medieval depictions of monarchs or deities, each reinforcing a hierarchy of being. The slight smile of Annie Martell invites us into a shared acknowledgment of performance and display, a carefully constructed persona meant to captivate. Just as the ancients used gesture and posture to convey authority and wisdom, here, the modern actress employs a more subtle, yet equally powerful, visual language. These connections remind us that the past is never truly gone, it subtly persists, resurfacing in unexpected places.