Actress wearing multiple strands of pearls, from Stars of the Stage, Fourth Series (N132) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1892 - 1893

This is an advertising card from around 1888, by W. Duke, Sons & Co., featuring an actress adorned with pearls. The lithograph captures our attention with the texture and detail of the actress's pearls and lace headdress. The image's composition emphasizes the actress’s gaze, drawing us into a world of theatrical artifice and consumption. The pearls, rendered with meticulous detail, symbolize wealth and status, reinforcing the semiotic link between luxury goods and the performance of identity. The lace functions as a signifier of delicate beauty, further accentuating the actress's allure. This card uses beauty and luxury to sell tobacco. The structure of the image thus invites us to consider the cultural codes at play in the late 19th century. What does it mean to blur the lines between art, advertising, and identity? This card is not just a commercial object but a complex interplay of signs and symbols that reflects broader societal values.