Card Number 167, Jennie McNulty, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Cross Cut Cigarettes, part of a series featuring actors and actresses, created around the turn of the century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. Note how Jennie McNulty’s confident pose, hands on hips, and direct gaze embody the spirit of the era's performers. This stance echoes poses found in classical sculpture, a subtle nod to ideals of beauty and strength. Consider how the assertive posture of the figure—a gesture of self-assuredness—reappears throughout art history, from ancient goddesses to modern-day icons. Observe the ornament on the pillar behind her, topped with a cupid-like figure, which has, since antiquity, been associated with beauty and love. What we find interesting here is how it has become a symbol of both divine and earthly love, often seen in funerary art, or as a symbol of profane love in paintings like Titian's *Venus with an Organist*. The cyclical nature of these motifs demonstrates how symbols are never truly static. They are continuously reinterpreted, reflecting evolving cultural values and desires.