Actress wearing yellow bodice, from Stars of the Stage, First Series (N129) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

This is a promotional trading card from the late 19th century, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to advertise their Honest Long Cut Tobacco. These cards, popular at the time, offer a fascinating glimpse into the era's cultural values and marketing strategies. The card depicts an actress, a figure both celebrated and scrutinized in that period. Her representation here is carefully constructed, from her stylishly arranged hair to the fashionable yellow bodice, embodying an idealized vision of feminine beauty and grace. Yet, this image also raises questions about the objectification of women in advertising and entertainment. How does the card contribute to the construction of celebrity and the commodification of the female image? What does it tell us about the role of women in the public sphere and the expectations placed upon them? The actress, nameless to us now, becomes a symbol of the aspirations and contradictions of her time, forever captured within the frame of a tobacco advertisement. This work invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between identity, representation, and consumer culture in the late 19th century.