Card Number 67, Miss Vanoni, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-4) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is card number 67, featuring Miss Vanoni, from the Actors and Actresses series, a promotional item for Duke's Cameo Cigarettes, produced around the turn of the 20th century. The sepia-toned card presents a full-length portrait, capturing Vanoni in what appears to be a theatrical pose. Note how the composition is structured around the interplay of light and shadow, creating a dramatic contrast that highlights the texture of her elaborate costume. The background, a blurred outdoor setting, serves to push her forward. Consider the semiotic implications of such commercial art. The cigarette brand leverages Vanoni’s celebrity to associate smoking with glamour and performance. Her staged pose, with a performative exuberance, invites viewers to project their aspirations onto the product. Ultimately, this card functions as a complex cultural artifact, intertwining commerce, celebrity, and the performative aspects of identity. It reminds us how everyday images participate in broader cultural narratives and reinforce specific values.