Card Number 36, Lillian Russell, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-4) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This small card, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes, features the actress Lillian Russell, an icon of her time. Note the fan in her hand, a potent symbol of both allure and veiled communication. The fan has a long lineage, appearing in various forms from ancient Egypt to the courts of Europe and the tea houses of Japan. As a tool, it offers respite from the heat, but in the hands of a woman, it becomes an instrument of flirtation, a way to express emotions discreetly. Think of the elaborate fan languages developed over centuries, where the way a woman held her fan could convey a whole host of messages. One cannot help but feel the tension between visibility and concealment, a psychological dance that has echoed through art and life for centuries. Russell, as an actress, embodies this duality, offering herself to the public gaze, while simultaneously guarding her inner self. The fan, then, becomes a shield, a prop, and a symbol of the complex interplay between exposure and intimacy. This delicate balance is timeless and continues to resurface throughout history.