Card Number 97, Miss Bocket, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Here we have a card, part of a larger series of collectible cards issued in the 1880s by Duke Sons & Co., as promotional items for their Cross Cut Cigarettes. This one is titled "Card Number 97, Miss Bocket, from the Actors and Actresses series." Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the blatant, almost cheeky, audacity of it. There's Miss Bocket, cigarette dangling, stocking visible, like she’s winking at us across a century and some change. The monochrome tones almost make it feel… clandestine? Curator: Exactly. These cards offer a fascinating glimpse into the ideals of beauty, performance, and consumer culture of the late 19th century. Notice the subtle theatrical pose – the calculated display, the almost allegorical wink you pointed out, even though photography, by this time, was advancing from strictly posed portraiture. It really calls forth questions about performativity. Editor: She definitely embodies that "new woman" vibe, even in the guise of promoting… well, vice. Though, isn't it funny how some vices get a makeover with time? Cigarettes – once the emblem of sophistication and allure – are now, well, not so much. This reminds me, I need to quit. But before I do... she’s sitting there almost mocking our modern sensibilities. Curator: Absolutely. These cards tap into our inherent interest in archetypes: the glamorous actress, the tempting indulgence. Think of it through the lens of Ukiyo-e art – "pictures of the floating world," of transient beauty and fleeting pleasures. The placement of the cigarettes brand mimics classical forms. This image is designed for the delight of the everyman, distilled into an affordable material good that offered social currency. Editor: So, more than just a pretty face and a cigarette, it’s like a miniature time capsule. A comment on the era's aspirations and contradictions all tucked into one sepia-toned rectangle. What a snapshot, literally! It's thought-provoking how something seemingly so simple can ripple outwards and say so much. Curator: Precisely, that distillation allows us to examine a cultural snapshot that has shaped everything. Editor: Okay, I have a weird craving for some nicotine, gotta go. Curator: Well, I hope I won’t be seeing you at the gift shop looking for a pack.