Card Number 110, Bessie Ferrel, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a trade card from the 1880s promoting Cross Cut Cigarettes, a brand of cigarettes produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. The card features a portrait of actress Bessie Ferrel, dressed in a western-style outfit. The image is a photographic print, a common format for trade cards of the time. The card is part of a series, known as the Actors and Actresses series, which featured portraits of popular entertainers. These cards served as a form of advertising, promoting the brand and appealing to consumers through their interest in popular culture. This card, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, is a small-scale example of trade card advertising, measuring only 6.4 by 3.5 centimeters.