Card Number 352, Jennie Calef, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This card, one of many made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around 1870-1920, features actress Jennie Calef. Note her posture—seated on a set of steps, hands clasped around her knee. This simple gesture resonates through centuries. Think of countless images of contemplation and repose, where figures adopt similar poses, symbolizing introspection. The motif is not merely one of physical rest, but suggests a moment of profound reflection. This pose, linking antiquity to modernity, may unconsciously conjure associations of melancholia in the viewer. Consider, too, the theatrical setting, with its ornate balustrade. It is a stage for artifice, yet it also provides a framework for self-revelation, where the actress reveals something about her public persona, and perhaps even her private one. Thus, these cigarette cards, mass-produced as they were, are vessels of cultural memory, encapsulating universal human experiences. The motifs return, evolve, and take on new meanings.