Card Number 124, Ida Mulle, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-4) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is 'Card Number 124, Ida Mulle', a promotional piece from the Actors and Actresses series by W. Duke, Sons & Co., dating around the turn of the 20th century. This small card presents a sepia-toned image of Ida Mulle, set against a blurred outdoor backdrop. The composition is carefully arranged to draw the eye to her figure. Note how the soft, diffused lighting lends a dreamlike quality to the scene. The textures of her garments, from the lace trim to the flowing shawl, contrast with the vague setting. This contrast might reflect the era's focus on capturing the essence of performers rather than contextual accuracy. The semiotic interplay here lies in how Mulle's image is presented: she embodies both a performer and an ideal. The structure of the card itself, with its textual framing, adds another layer. 'Duke's Cameo Cigarettes' and the card's numbering anchor the image to its commercial purpose. This functions as a cultural artifact, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and celebrity. It invites us to consider how images circulate and accrue value through these complex networks.