Card Number 229, Miss Flint, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: Here we have "Card Number 229, Miss Flint," likely from the 1880s, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It looks like a print, maybe an etching? The dancer seems suspended, caught in mid-motion. I’m struck by the textures—the crispness of the cigarette card versus the softness of the dancer's tulle skirt. How do you interpret this juxtaposition of materials? Curator: The stark contrast in textures serves to highlight the deliberate construction of the image itself. The grid-like structure of the print's photographic surface versus the swirling pattern created by the dancer's pose establishes a visual dynamic. Consider how the company uses this play between the flat plane and illusionistic depth to capture the viewer’s attention, guiding them toward the advertisement above Miss Flint's head. How does this strategy enhance its functionality as a commercial object? Editor: That's fascinating! So the very flatness of the card emphasizes the constructed nature of the performance? I hadn't thought of it that way. The figure becomes part of the design, rather than being just a picture of a ballerina. Curator: Precisely. Focus also on how her figure is centered, mirroring the centrality of the brand’s text. This interplay between the vertical and horizontal creates an interplay of balance within the composition and reinforces the visual hierarchy. Does that help to unpack the artist’s intent? Editor: It definitely does! Seeing it purely from a formal perspective really opens up new layers of meaning. I’ll never look at a cigarette card the same way again! Curator: Indeed. Focusing on its structural and material elements refines our understanding of its function and artistic qualities.