Card Number 39, Marie Jansen, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This commercial card, made around the turn of the century by W. Duke, Sons & Co., presents a sepia-toned portrait of the actress Marie Jansen. The composition is vertically oriented, typical for its use as a promotional insert in cigarette packs. The limited tonal range, from light cream to deeper browns, emphasizes texture and form. The subject's pose, with a finger to her lips, creates a sense of intimacy, echoed in the close framing of the shot. This gesture could be read semiotically as a sign of discretion, inviting the viewer into a silent, shared secret of enjoyment, mirroring the pleasure derived from the advertised cigarettes. What is striking, structurally, is the tension between public image and private gesture, highlighted through the formal constraints of the card’s dimensions and the soft, almost dreamlike quality of the print. This interplay suggests the complex negotiation of identity and desire inherent in early advertising.