Daisy Murdoch as "Cupid" from the Fancy Dress Ball Costumes series (N107) to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco manufactured by W. Duke Sons & Co. 1889

This promotional card for Honest Long Cut Tobacco, created by W. Duke Sons & Co., presents Daisy Murdoch costumed as Cupid. We immediately recognize Cupid's attributes: the bow and arrow, symbols deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. They evoke the power of love and desire, a legacy inherited from ancient Roman mythology. But let us consider how these symbols travel through time. The arrow, once a weapon of war and hunt, transforms into an instrument of playful affection. Think of Botticelli’s Venus, where Cupid’s arrow stirs both pleasure and pain, reflecting the dual nature of love. Here, Daisy Murdoch's Cupid feels like a distant echo, a lighter, more commercialized version of those powerful roots. And yet, the image retains an emotional resonance. The act of dressing up, of embodying Cupid, touches something primal in us. It speaks to our enduring need to play with identity, to enact our desires. This little card, therefore, becomes more than mere advertisement; it is a reminder of how images and symbols continue to shape our understanding of ourselves and our world, regardless of their original context.