Card Number 129, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This trade card, from the 1880s, is part of a series promoting Cross Cut Cigarettes. Created by W. Duke, Sons & Co., the card features a black and white photograph of an actress, likely in a theatrical costume, standing next to a chair. The card is a prime example of the use of celebrity imagery in advertising during the late 19th century. The card, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is part of the growing collection of ephemera that documents the history of popular culture in America.