Card Number 538, Lulu Hesse, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This card from the Actors and Actresses series was created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. The image features Lulu Hesse in profile, her gaze directed slightly upward. Note the earring she wears, a simple hoop. Across cultures and time, the circle motif has recurred, representing the eternal cycle of life, unity, and the infinite. Consider its use in ancient solar symbols, or the Ouroboros serpent eating its own tail—a symbol of self-reference and constant return. In a portrait like this, the earring is an emblem of continuity and echoes the perpetual return of images and symbols throughout history, and underscores the seductive nature of advertising which taps into our collective unconscious. The image of Lulu Hesse, her beauty enhanced by this circular ornament, engages us on an emotional level, drawing us into a world where art and commerce intertwine. The motifs are not linear, but cyclical. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.