Card Number 586, Miss Sutherland, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This is card number 586, "Miss Sutherland," from the Actors and Actresses series, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the 1880s to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes. It's striking how much this little card tries to convey – it's both a promotional item and, in a way, a portrait. What symbols do you think are embedded within this piece? Curator: Well, first notice how Miss Sutherland’s pose references classical sculptures – the draped clothing, the hand shielding her eyes as if searching for something just beyond our reach. That gesture itself – shielding the eyes – what does it evoke for you? Editor: Perhaps aspiration or longing? Curator: Precisely. And consider its function as advertisement. What are they selling beyond cigarettes? They're selling an idea – a dream associated with celebrity, with theatre, with sophistication. She becomes an aspirational figure. Do you see how her beauty becomes a symbol connected to their product? Editor: So, it's not just about smoking, but about aspiring to a certain lifestyle. Are those coin-like adornments part of that aspiration? Curator: Exactly. The circular adornments decorating her gown – they recall ancient coins, perhaps even sun discs. They symbolize wealth, status, and even power – connecting her, and by extension the cigarettes, to historical prestige. What story does the composition, beyond simple marketing, seem to be hinting? Editor: That's a lot to pack onto a tiny card! It definitely highlights how images carry multiple meanings. Curator: And how those meanings persist and transform across time, connecting us to cultural memories through symbols. Editor: Looking at it again, knowing all of that definitely changes how I see her – and what she represents! Thanks for sharing that, it was fascinating!