Card Number 250, Hattie Starr, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 250, Hattie Starr, from the Actors and Actresses series, a promotional item issued by Duke Sons & Co. in the late 19th century. Note the choker around Hattie’s neck, a seemingly simple adornment which carries a powerful echo through time. This dark band cinching the throat is not merely a fashion statement. One sees it reappear throughout history, from the truncated figures of the French Revolution to more ancient sacrificial rituals. The neck, a vulnerable point of transition between head and body, has long been a site of symbolic significance. In the choker, we find a latent anxiety about control and vulnerability. The human psyche is fascinating. Collective memory and subconscious processes have an effect in how we all understand and interpret the same motif. The emotional weight of such symbols engages us on a deep level. The choker’s progression is non-linear, resurfacing through various historical contexts, evolving and accumulating new layers of meaning, reminding us of the enduring power of symbols to trigger deep-seated emotional and cultural responses.