Card Number 347, Richard and Letrey, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Look at this quirky image! It’s titled “Card Number 347, Richard and Letrey” from the “Actors and Actresses” series. It was part of a promotional campaign by Duke Sons & Co. for Cross Cut Cigarettes back in the 1880s. Editor: What strikes me first is how strangely arresting this little tableau is. These two figures…are they about to go swimming, play a brass fanfare, or… well, something else entirely? It has that beguiling, slightly surreal feel of a dream. Curator: Exactly! It’s a trade card, intended to be collected and traded, showcasing popular performers. But the outfits… quite suggestive for the period, and very playful, almost daring for a tobacco advertisement. Editor: Absolutely! Consider how such images circulated – creating aspirational figures for the public to emulate, contributing to the popular culture, shaping consumer desires through the enticing link between glamour and smoking. Did smoking Cross-Cut make one suddenly stylish… or musical? Curator: Probably not! Although this connects to the larger cultural phenomenon of celebrity endorsements even back then. Richard and Letrey were undoubtedly recognizable figures, which adds a layer of social context now lost, doesn't it? Though, it makes you wonder who chose the acts they endorsed…! Editor: Definitely. It's also a snapshot of changing gender roles; women publicly engaging, performing, shaping a growing entertainment sector. And beyond just the personalities featured on them, this card really asks us to consider how visual media becomes intertwined with the formation of individual identities. How we perform ourselves as citizens and consumers. Curator: I agree, its historical resonance goes beyond just a simple advertisement. Editor: Indeed, Richard and Letrey and Cross-Cut become fascinating vehicles of analysis, providing much for both historians, as well as creative daydreamers, to ponder.