Card Number 34, Lillian Russell, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a trading card featuring the famous actress Lillian Russell, part of a series of cards promoting Cross Cut Cigarettes. Issued in the 1880s, the card depicts Russell in a portrait style, with a focus on her face and upper torso. The image is printed in sepia tones, typical of the photographic techniques of the time. The card, measuring 2 1/2 × 1 3/8 in. (6.4 × 3.5 cm), was part of the Actors and Actresses series, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co., a major tobacco company of the era. This card, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a great example of the collectible nature of cigarette cards, popular in the late 19th century.