Card Number 210, Davenport, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: So, this is "Card Number 210, Davenport," from the Actors and Actresses series by W. Duke, Sons & Co., dating back to the 1880s. It's fascinating to see a photo turned into a promotional item for cigarettes. It feels… intimate and yet distant, all at once. I am drawn to its aged monochromatic tones. What stands out to you? Curator: What grabs me is how this little card speaks volumes about a bygone era, darling. I picture ladies and gents trading these cards, like Pokémon for social butterflies! This was marketing genius; blending the allure of celebrity with everyday vice. The soft focus reminds me of dreams, slightly out of reach. Tell me, what does "Davenport" evoke for you? Any inklings of her story? Editor: Honestly, I'm drawing a blank. "Davenport," on its own, just feels like…a last name? Or a small town, maybe? Curator: Perhaps both! Actors back then often adopted stage names, and her identity, layered with manufactured desire, reminds me of identity creation on social media today. What seems strange or surprisingly modern about that? Editor: It's weird to think of celebrity endorsements as starting *this* early. Also, there's an anonymity to it that’s both captivating and sad, seeing a life distilled into this fragile cardboard square. Curator: Precisely! A perfect artifact, wouldn't you agree? It shows the power of images to sell dreams...and cigarettes, of course. Editor: Yeah! This really adds depth to what I thought I knew about celebrity and consumerism. I will keep that with me. Curator: A fitting end indeed. A reminder that yesterday's marketing is today's archaeology!