Card Number 41, Vernona Jarbeau, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-4) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 41, Vernona Jarbeau, from the Actors and Actresses series made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes, around the turn of the century. These cards were a product of their time, reflecting the burgeoning commercial culture and the role of women in entertainment. The image is both a portrait and an advertisement, revealing how the female image was used to sell products, subtly reinforcing cultural expectations around beauty and performance. Vernona Jarbeau, an actress of some renown, is captured in a theatrical pose. She is presented as both an individual and a commodity. What does it mean to be represented in this way, where personal identity merges with commercial appeal? Consider the complex dynamic of visibility and objectification inherent in such images, and the layered identities of the woman depicted. This card speaks to the broader history of representation, inviting us to consider the power dynamics at play in the creation and consumption of images.