Card Number 732, Ada Webb, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

"Card Number 732, Ada Webb" from the Actors and Actresses series of trade cards is a black and white photograph depicting Ada Webb, a popular actress of the late 19th century, issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes. This collectible card, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, showcases the trend of using celebrity endorsements in advertising during the 1880s. The image presents a portrait of Webb, emphasizing her graceful pose and alluring gaze, likely intended to attract viewers to the brand's product. The card, measuring just over two inches in height, is a small but significant example of the intersection of popular culture and commercialism in late 19th-century America.