Card Number 240, Miss Fuller, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around the turn of the century, this card depicts Miss Mollie Fuller, an actress of the time, advertising Cross Cut Cigarettes. Note the heart emblazoned on her chest: it is a symbol of love and affection, a powerful motif that stretches back through centuries. We see it echoed in ancient Egyptian iconography as the shape of the human heart, a vessel of emotion. But also, it is placed right where the sternum would be, a symbol of bravery or courage. This symbol takes on different guises, sometimes literal, sometimes stylized, yet always tapping into our shared, primal understanding of love, courage, and vitality. Think of the Sacred Heart in Christian art—a symbol of divine love, the passion of Christ made visible. The heart motif resonates with the viewer on an emotional level, a visual shorthand for profound human experiences. As we observe, consider how these symbols, like the heart, transcend time and space, carrying within them the weight of history, culture, and our collective unconscious.