Card Number 727, Miss Greenwood, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Cross Cut Cigarettes, likely made in the late 19th century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It features an image of Miss Greenwood from the Actors and Actresses series. The composition is carefully constructed to draw the viewer's eye. The sepia tone imbues the image with a sense of nostalgia. Note how the subject is framed by heavy drapes. This creates a stage-like setting, emphasizing the performative aspect of the actress's identity. Her dress, adorned with lace and a floral embellishment, speaks to the theatrical and the feminine. The overall structure functions as a semiotic device. Miss Greenwood, in her staged setting, is presented as a spectacle, her image commodified to sell cigarettes. The formal elements work to construct and reinforce cultural codes of beauty, performance, and commercialism. This card doesn't merely depict an actress; it encapsulates a moment in the evolving relationship between art, commerce, and identity.