Card Number 625, Ivy Willis, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card of Ivy Willis, an actress, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to advertise Cross Cut Cigarettes. In the image, Ms. Willis is seated, wearing a striped bathing suit, with palm trees and a shore behind her. The striped garment in the image speaks to a long history of nautical symbolism, a motif that recurs across cultures. Think of the association of stripes with sailors' uniforms; originating perhaps in 1858 by the French Navy to distinguish seamen and make them more visible if they fell overboard, the motif echoes earlier protective devices. Similarly, the palm tree, often associated with exotic locales and leisure, also carries connotations of paradise and triumph, recalling classical antiquity where it symbolized victory and eternal life. These symbols tap into a collective yearning for escape, adventure, and the exotic. The artist utilizes this iconography to evoke a sense of allure and aspiration. In doing so, it reflects and reinforces deeply ingrained desires and fantasies within the collective psyche.