Card Number 150, Evans, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a late nineteenth-century trade card, a paper rectangle printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as an advertisement for Cross Cut Cigarettes, part of a series featuring actors and actresses. Note how the sepia tone flattens the figure of Evans, who is seated and glancing out at the viewer. The composition is divided between the dark backdrop and ornate chair, and the lighter figure of Evans in a costume of bonnet and dress, suggesting a child, which creates a curious tension in the viewer. The function of the card is of interest. Printed by a tobacco firm, its aim was to market cigarettes by exploiting the popularity of actors. This raises questions about the relationship between art, commerce, and celebrity culture, and how the structural components of this trade card served as a crucial intersection of cultural and economic forces in shaping public perception and desire.