Card Number 136, Lillian Russell, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Here we have a print dating back to the 1880s: Card Number 136, Lillian Russell, from the Actors and Actresses series, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Cross Cut Cigarettes. Editor: Oh, it's got that wonderful antique-photo mood, all sepia and whispers of a bygone era. Her gaze… she’s absolutely serene. I feel like I could spill my secrets to her, she’d just nod knowingly, perhaps while puffing a cigarette of her own! Curator: Lillian Russell, you see, was a prominent stage actress and singer during that period. Her image was strategically employed here; the prevailing ideals of feminine beauty and celebrity endorsement meet consumer culture head-on. These cards also participated in a kind of proto-Japonisme through their collectible series format. Editor: Collectible… like Pokemon cards for the gilded age! I adore the details: the flowers erupting from her hair, the almost gravity-defying curls… It’s so extravagant! I bet a packet of these was considered high currency back then, a small luxurious escape with every smoke. Curator: Exactly. This seemingly innocuous card underscores complex power dynamics. Consider the accessibility these cards gave to women's images; were they empowering or were they merely commercial vehicles perpetuating narrow standards? These images circulated widely but often did so at the expense of real progress. Editor: Mmm, you're always so serious. I see your point, of course, but perhaps these images also gave women visibility, a presence, even if filtered through the male gaze of the tobacco industry. A little crumb of agency maybe, in a society that preferred women be quiet ornaments? It's pretty... sad in that respect. Curator: The card is now a part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its presence prompts essential dialogues concerning art history, celebrity culture, and the narratives encoded in material artifacts. Editor: A small but poignant treasure, revealing that some human desires—beauty, status, a little escape—transcend time, even if wrapped in the complicated baggage of the past. Thank goodness it found a good home!