Card Number 99, Ida Mulle, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This small card, made around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., presents us with actress Ida Mulle, an icon of her time, promoting Cross Cut Cigarettes. The seductive pose, leaning back against a wall, connects to a long lineage of female portraiture where beauty and allure are strategically employed. Consider, for instance, the "contrapposto" stance— a pose that has been used for centuries to depict figures with a relaxed yet elegant posture. We find echoes of it even in classical sculptures of Aphrodite. This gesture, charged with an alluring tension, reappears across different eras, subtly altered yet fundamentally recognizable. Here, the actress's sidelong glance triggers an emotional response, a silent invitation that transcends the simple advertisement. It’s as though these images are imbued with a life of their own, constantly seeking new forms and contexts to express enduring human desires and ideals. This card is a mirror reflecting our own fascination with beauty, fame, and the echoes of history.