Card Number 764, Lulu Mortimer, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: So, this albumen print from the 1880s, titled "Card Number 764, Lulu Mortimer" – part of a cigarette card series by W. Duke, Sons & Co...it has a somewhat provocative feel, doesn't it? The pose is both alluring and oddly nonchalant. What jumps out at you when you look at this image? Curator: Oh, absolutely. It's a tiny window into a world obsessed with celebrity, even then! Think of it: erotic art as… advertising. The late 19th century, draped in prudishness, yet titillated by images like this slipped into cigarette packs! Notice how the sepia tone lends it this aura of faded glamour, like a whispered secret. I imagine men flicking through these cards, creating little worlds, their own personal collections of idealized femininity. Editor: So it's not just a portrait; it's an aspirational object, a form of escapism tied to a very specific product? Curator: Precisely! And consider the cigarette itself: a symbol of liberation, rebellion. These cards are miniature portals. Each carefully chosen detail–the plush fur, the sly glance—adds fuel to the imagination. Tell me, what do *you* imagine when you see it? Editor: I imagine... a performer using this image to control the narrative, to say: "I see you looking." It seems that, whether intentional or not, this work challenges Victorian ideals by packaging up sensuality with an everyday item. Curator: Precisely! It makes you wonder who Lulu Mortimer really was. The artist sold allure and charm with a small rectangle. It's truly compelling to imagine. Editor: It definitely gives you a lot to think about! Thanks!