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

This card, created by Allen & Ginter, features May Danforth of the Corsair Company, and was made to promote Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The composition evokes a sense of theatricality. Note Danforth's posture, leaning coyly against a prop, amidst what might be stage foliage. Consider the corset she wears, cinching her waist and accentuating the swell of her form. This garment, designed to mould the body into a desirable shape, appears throughout history, dating back to Minoan Crete where images of wasp-waisted figures have been found. The reappearance of the corset across millennia speaks to a deep-seated cultural obsession with controlling and reshaping the female form, reflecting both societal ideals of beauty and the constraints imposed on women. The image engages us on a deeply subconscious level, tapping into our collective memory. It highlights the continuous, cyclical progression of beauty, desire, and control across time.