Card Number 164, Miss Long, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This is a trade card from the 1880s by W. Duke Sons & Co., part of their Actors and Actresses series, featuring Miss Long. It's promoting Cross Cut Cigarettes, a print seemingly derived from a photograph. What stands out is the pose – both elegant and provocative. What’s your interpretation of it? Curator: The pose, though seemingly carefree, is carefully constructed. The lifted arm draws the eye upwards, past the figure, towards the textual claim. Think about what such a performance signified at the time: emerging mass culture, blurring of boundaries between theatre, public life, and commerce. And the figure herself: who was "Miss Long"? A performer? A symbol of aspiration? The cigarette itself, as a phallic symbol, and as social acceptance and growing habit. All contained within this little piece of card. What does the symbolism convey about societal values of that time, about our society? Editor: That's fascinating. So, it’s less about the individual and more about the societal currents it represents? I initially just saw an advertisement, but now I see a microcosm of cultural values being subtly communicated. Curator: Precisely. Consider the intended audience: largely male smokers, likely working class. The image would appeal to their aspirations, their sense of modernity. The trade card functions as a signifier, condensing complex ideas of femininity, success, and leisure into a single, easily consumed image. Editor: I hadn’t considered the viewer so specifically. It’s amazing how much information is packed into this tiny card. Curator: The symbolism is a potent language, reflecting and reinforcing the cultural narratives of its time. Examining seemingly trivial items, like trade cards, opens up invaluable insights into how images shape our understanding of the world. Editor: This has been such a great learning experience.