Card Number 158, Sarrah Swift, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a trade card from the "Actors and Actresses" series issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co., a tobacco company, in the 1880s to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes. The card features a black-and-white photograph of actress Sarrah Swift, who is dressed in a fashionable gown with a striped skirt, a large hat, and a fan. The card is a prime example of a popular marketing strategy of the late 19th century. The image uses the popularity of actors and actresses to promote the company's product to a wide audience. This card, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a rare artifact of advertising from the late 19th century.