Card Number 115, Miss Jones, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 115, Miss Jones, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2), a promotional card made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. for Cross Cut Cigarettes. The sepia tone gives the image a sense of historical distance. Miss Jones stands poised, her verticality emphasized by the striped pattern of her skirt. The backdrop, a blurred arrangement of plants, creates a shallow depth of field, focusing attention on the figure. The linear design on her bodice repeats a zig-zag pattern, a kind of visual echo that disrupts the symmetry of her pose. The text "Cross Cut Cigarettes," placed boldly at the bottom, anchors the image within the broader context of commercial culture and the semiotics of advertising. The card operates on a system of exchange where Miss Jones's image functions as a signifier, promoting not just a product but also ideas around celebrity, beauty, and consumption. Notice the function of the linear elements. The vertical stripes of her skirt, the zig-zags of her bodice, and the implied lines of her gaze all work together to create a complex visual structure.