Card Number 19, Carrie Andrews, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-4) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is "Card Number 19, Carrie Andrews," a promotional card for Cameo Cigarettes by Duke Sons & Co. The sepia tone flattens the image and gives it a sense of distance. The composition is dominated by Carrie Andrews in costume, her figure bisecting the frame diagonally. She is positioned as both powerful and vulnerable, with one hand on her hip and the other holding a sword. Her gaze confronts the viewer directly, challenging our perception of gender and performance. The layering of textures, from the fur trim on her coat to the feathery plume in her hat, adds to the visual complexity and invites closer inspection. Duke Sons & Co. were masters of the spectacle, creating seductive images to promote their products. However, the use of celebrity and the destabilization of traditional gender roles also raises questions about representation and power dynamics in popular culture. This complex interplay between commerce and art is what makes this piece so interesting to reconsider today.