Card Number 210, Miss Beatrio and Miss Maille, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This advertisement card for Duke’s Cameo Cigarettes, made around 1880, features actresses Beatrio and Maille in theatrical garb. The costume, with its elaborate ruffs and feathered hats, evokes a sense of playful artifice. Note the cross-dressing style of the garments, where female performers adopted male roles, a motif that transcends time and location in theatrical history. Consider the symbolic weight of clothing. Throughout history, it has been more than mere protection; it has been an identifier, a marker of status, and a tool of transformation. In ancient rituals, donning the attire of another, be it animal or deity, was a means of embodying that entity's power. Think of shamanistic traditions, where clothing serves as a conduit between worlds. This notion of clothing as a transformative symbol resurfaces continuously, each time imbued with new cultural meanings. The cross-dressing here embodies a fluidity challenging rigid social norms, reflecting a deeper, subconscious desire for liberation. The actresses are not merely selling cigarettes; they are selling a dream, a fantasy of transformation.