Card Number 701, Mme. De Marey, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This is "Card Number 701, Mme. De Marey," an 1880s print from the Actors and Actresses series. It was issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes and it’s housed at the Met. I find it intriguing how this intimate portrait exists within the context of advertisement. What symbols do you see in this work, and how do they play out in cigarette advertising? Curator: It is remarkable, isn't it? We see Mme. De Marey holding a fan, her face partially concealed, a subtle dance of revelation and concealment. The fan itself, traditionally associated with flirtation and hidden messages, suggests an air of mystery and allure. Notice how her gaze meets ours directly. Is she an independent woman making direct eye contact or does her slight smile reveal the intentions of tobacco marketing? Consider that smoking wasn't yet considered unfashionable or unhealthy. Editor: Interesting. So you’re saying the fan could represent something about her, like sophistication? Curator: Exactly! It's a marker of social standing but also an instrument, you could say, in the theater of femininity. The pearl necklace, the elaborate hairstyle…all contribute to an image carefully crafted to associate these cigarettes with refinement, beauty, and even a touch of rebellion. This "actress" represents an aspirational ideal, which carries its own psychological weight when associated with "the best" cigarettes. The name alone speaks volumes to how companies began associating their product with status and taste, in ways not as clear as earlier methods. Editor: It’s interesting to think about how images, even ones designed to sell something, are packed with so much cultural information. Thank you. Curator: A pleasure! The beauty of these works is they speak volumes about consumer culture and self-perception, across different moments in history.