Card Number 184, Katie Powell, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card from around 1900 by W. Duke Sons & Co. printed to advertise Duke Cigarettes, featuring actress Katie Powell. The card's sepia tones and small format offer a snapshot of the period’s aesthetic. Powell is captured in profile, adorned with elaborate ornamentation. A study in contrasts, the eye is drawn to the textures: the smoothness of her skin against the intricate details of her beaded shawl and the feathered fan she holds aloft. The composition employs a semiotic interplay between image and text. Powell's upward gaze and the fan's arc lead the eye towards the upper edge of the card. This visual directionality is a carefully constructed sign, a subliminal message enhancing the product's desirability by associating it with beauty and aspiration. The formal qualities of the card underscore its function within a cultural and commercial framework. Its aesthetic is inextricably linked to the era's values and modes of representation. The card invites us to interpret not only the image of Katie Powell but also the broader cultural narratives that shaped its creation and reception.