Card Number 178, Dallie Burns, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

Card Number 178, a promotional card for Duke's Cameo Cigarettes from around 1900, presents actress Dallie Burns in sepia tones. The composition is sharply divided: on the right, Burns leans against a heavily textured faux rock, while to the left, a dark, undefined landscape fades into the background. The diagonal line formed by Burns' body creates a sense of movement, but it's rigidly contained by her theatrical costume, a series of horizontal bands that segment her torso. These structural divisions extend to the lower part of the card, where the advertisement text is neatly arranged. The card functions as a semiotic system, using Burns' image to signify luxury and allure, coded through the visual language of theater and performance. The rigid structure of the composition and the clear separation of image and text suggest a desire to control and categorize meaning, aligning the actress with a consumable commodity. The sepia tones and the textured background create a sense of nostalgia, inviting the viewer to reflect on the changing landscape of popular culture and representation.