Card Number 41, Edith Kingdon, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is "Card Number 41, Edith Kingdon" from the Actors and Actresses series, created around the turn of the century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Cross Cut Cigarettes. The sepia tones and the composition create a sense of classical portraiture, yet the overt commercial message disrupts this high art association. Note how the figure of Edith Kingdon is rigidly posed, positioned almost as a sculptural form. This is juxtaposed with the floral decorations on her dress that add a layer of ornamentation. The text is as much a part of the design as the figure, creating a semiotic interplay between celebrity image and product endorsement. It prompts us to consider how advertising uses signs and cultural values to create meaning. The visual structure destabilizes the traditional boundaries between art and commerce, inviting a deeper look into the ways cultural values are constructed and circulated. Ultimately, this card serves as a miniature study in how form and function can merge to engage questions of value, representation, and meaning.