Card Number 320, Laura Burt, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a collectible trading card featuring actress Laura Burt, from the *Actors and Actresses* series issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Cross Cut Cigarettes in the 1880s. The card depicts Burt in a simple portrait, with her shoulder and the top of her back exposed, wearing a lace garment and a string of pearls. The card is a prime example of the use of celebrity endorsements to advertise products in the late 19th century, with its text stating "Cross-Cut Cigarettes Are the Best." The card is a photographic print, produced using the carte-de-visite format, and is a popular collectible for those interested in 19th-century theater, advertising history, and the history of tobacco production.