Card Number 8, Letitia, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 8, Letitia, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. This small promotional card is defined by its sepia tones and the texture of its card stock. The composition is straightforward: a full-length portrait of the actress Letitia, posed with a gentle contrapposto. The figure and typography are integrated against a soft background in a flattened space. What is intriguing here is how the limitations of the printing technology and the commercial intent shape our perception. The soft focus and limited tonal range reduce Letitia to a set of recognizable features, almost a brand in herself, while the 'Duke Cigarettes' insignia transforms her image into a signifier of luxury and aspiration. The card functions as a semiotic device: Letitia’s image, combined with the Duke brand, creates a system of signs that speak to the values of the era. Notice how the formal qualities, like the soft focus, serve to idealize the subject, aligning her with the aspirational qualities of the product.