Card Number 96, Billie Barlow, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This card, number 96 in a series by Duke Sons & Co., presents Billie Barlow, an actress, promoting Cross Cut Cigarettes. Look closely, and you will see Billie posed in a masculine manner; her attire and posture evoke the confident swagger often associated with male figures in theater. Consider how this image echoes throughout history. In earlier eras, we find instances like cross-dressing theatrical performances, where gender roles are deliberately blurred or reversed. Think of Shakespearean plays, where male actors often played female roles, challenging and playing with the audience's perceptions of identity. This card is engaging with the theme of crossing boundaries, whether of gender or performance. The deliberate ambiguity in the image invites a deeper psychological interpretation. Collective memory and subconscious associations with gender fluidity and performance could influence how viewers interpret the image. There is a tension here, between the expected and the unexpected, that perhaps mirrors society's shifting attitudes toward gender roles. The act of dressing or posing in opposition to expected gender roles has resurfaced, evolved, and taken on new meanings throughout history.