Mlle. Ruhende, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This is Mlle. Ruhende, from the Actors and Actresses series, a promotional card issued by Duke Sons & Co. around the turn of the century to advertise Duke Cigarettes. The sepia tones create a soft, almost dreamlike visual field, where the textures of fabric and lace blend. The subject is leaning back in a chair, an arrangement that invites the viewer to consider the interplay between private repose and public display. This tension is emphasized by the very medium of the card, designed for mass consumption yet portraying an intimate moment. The photograph's composition is carefully constructed, employing a semiotic system of signs. The fan and the loose-fitting dress suggest a certain social status, and the deliberate casualness of the pose hints at performance. The card is not merely a portrait but an artifact embedded in the social and economic structures of its time. Notice how the soft focus and subdued colors serve a dual purpose: they create an appealing image for marketing while also reflecting the aesthetic preferences of the era. Here, aesthetic and commercial functions blur, creating a visual vocabulary that invites ongoing re-interpretation.