Card Number 191, Miss Leo, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This is Card Number 191, Miss Leo, dating back to the 1880s. It’s part of the Actors and Actresses series by W. Duke, Sons & Co., who were promoting Cross Cut Cigarettes. The card is currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There's a quirky feel to this portrait, almost like a glimpse into a theatrical dream. What jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: Oh, she's got that unapologetic sparkle, hasn't she? It feels like a playful wink across the decades! This isn't just a portrait, it's a tiny window into the booming world of advertising and celebrity culture finding its feet. Notice how the stairs she's lounging on become the actual advertising space? Sneaky and rather brilliant! Editor: That's a good point! It's more than just the product; it's crafting a whole persona. But why Miss Leo? Was she particularly famous? Curator: Exactly! She's selling a mood as much as cigarettes, an aspiration maybe. Whether Miss Leo was a household name, I couldn’t rightly say. Often, these cards hinted at fame more than representing genuine stardom. Did they succeed do you reckon? Did a packet of smokes equate to glamour? Editor: It's amazing to consider this as early influencer marketing. Something I’ll think about as I light up, ah, research *cough*. So it’s really about using people to sell products? Curator: Exactly that. Almost feels strangely contemporary, doesn’t it? From theatre stages to cigarette packs, celebrity and commerce began this intricate dance, it hasn’t stopped yet, either! The way our consumerist society gets constructed… it’s truly astonishing!