[Actress dressed as cupid], from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This 19th-century trade card, part of the "Actors and Actresses" series, features a woman dressed as Cupid, a Roman god of love. The card, printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes, depicts the actress with a bow and arrow, a symbolic gesture of romance. This card, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, is an interesting example of 19th-century advertising that used popular figures and themes to entice consumers.