Card Number 333, Mabel Santley, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Oh, I do love stumbling upon these treasures in the collection! Here we have "Card Number 333, Mabel Santley" from the Actors and Actresses series. It was printed in the 1880s by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes. Editor: It has such a whimsical feeling. Seeing her playfully posed like that—almost floating on the precipice between reality and imagination—adds a little je ne sais quoi to it. A daydream of a smoke break? Curator: It's fascinating to observe the composition—her form breaking the visual space with asymmetry, that ever so slight controposto, and the albumen print's sepia tones reinforce the portrait. I enjoy the semiotic play. The cigarette cards were popular, right? Editor: Absolutely! You collected them hoping for your favorite stage personality. Imagine finding Mabel, radiant and ready for the stage in sepia glory! Curator: As for her pose, notice how her eyes draw you upward and off toward the vague and abstracted, implied setting. Mabel and the team behind the art understood effective compositions! There's clearly attention given to form as well. Editor: So well put, friend! Even the steps feel like a symbol—leading to the next act of her life. You find one of these cards, and you’re investing in something more than the promise of good smokes— you're capturing an instant of fame from a bygone era. Curator: I hadn't considered the ladder's implied rise, such brilliance—an ephemeral brush with stardom, preserved. As you note so beautifully—a cultural signifier as relevant today as it was then. Editor: Seeing the art has been quite charming—a peek into the 1880's love affair with celebrity... who knew? Curator: Yes, exactly. The cigarette card offers not only a little slice of the arts of a past time, but also a glimpse into what captivated and inspired them as a consumer culture!