Card Number 320, Mlle. Menilli, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 320 from the Actors and Actresses series issued by Duke Sons & Co., around the turn of the 20th century, to promote Cameo Cigarettes. In it, Mlle. Menilli, a ballerina, is captured mid-pose, a vision of delicate grace and beauty, which was strategically deployed to elevate the status of the cigarette brand. These cards were products of their time, a period when advertising was rapidly evolving and tobacco companies sought innovative ways to capture the public's imagination. By associating their product with the world of theater and celebrity, Duke aimed to imbue Cameo Cigarettes with an aura of sophistication and glamour. It is telling that, at a time when the social status of actresses was precarious, their images were being harnessed to endorse products. To better understand the social role of this card, one could consult archives of advertising history, theater ephemera, and studies of consumer culture during the late 19th century. It serves as a reminder that artistic expression is always intertwined with the social and commercial forces of its era.