Card Number 232, Pauline Markham, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Cross Cut Cigarettes, featuring actress Pauline Markham, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. sometime between 1870 and 1920. The sepia tone flattens the image, reducing depth and highlighting the contrast between figure and ground. Markham’s pose and costume are carefully constructed; note the way her clasped hands draw attention to the cinched waist, creating an hourglass figure. This emphasis on the female form, combined with the commodity’s advertising text, presents a semiotic system where desire is manufactured and circulated. We can see that the card functions within a broader cultural framework; the commodification of female beauty is used to sell cigarettes. The small scale of the card itself suggests an intimacy, inviting the viewer to hold and possess this image. It is a symbol of desire, both for the product and the lifestyle it promises, reflecting how consumer culture shapes perceptions of beauty, success and value.