Card Number 342, Mlle. Meynadier, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This commercial card, created around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., presents a sepia-toned photograph of Mlle. Meynadier, an actress, posed for the promotion of Cross-Cut Cigarettes. The immediate visual experience is shaped by the subject's relaxed posture and ornate costume, which contrast with the sharp, geometric blocks forming her seat. The composition is carefully structured. Mlle. Meynadier is positioned as both the subject and object of display, mediated by the semiotic structure of advertising. Her theatrical costume, while suggesting historical authenticity, ultimately functions as a signifier within the commercial code—linking sophistication and allure to the consumption of cigarettes. This interplay between artifice and advertisement challenges established meanings of representation and value. The card's formal elements, such as the stark contrast between the soft textures of the clothing and the rigid geometry of the seating blocks, underscore the constructed nature of the image, reflecting broader cultural concerns about identity, performance, and commodification in the late 19th century. This is a commercial image, but it invites questions about how such images participate in the construction of cultural values.