Mlle. Berny, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This 19th-century photographic card, titled "Mlle. Berny," was part of the "Actors and Actresses" series produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Duke Cigarettes. The card depicts a woman, Mlle. Berny, likely a popular actress or performer of the time, in a theatrical pose. Her costume and the card's overall aesthetic suggest a performance rooted in exoticism and fantasy, reflecting the popular cultural fascination with the East at the time. The card is a fascinating artifact of both the world of theatre and the commercialization of tobacco in late 19th-century America, now a part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.