Card Number 140, Miss Cummings, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card from around 1888, crafted by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to peddle Cross Cut Cigarettes. Note how the pose of Miss Cummings revives the Venus Pudica, where modesty veils a primal allure. Observe the gesture, echoing through time from ancient sculptures to Renaissance paintings. This is not merely prudery; it's a dance between concealment and revelation, a visual language that stirs our subconscious. Consider Botticelli's Venus, reborn from seafoam, her hand instinctively covering her breast. This gesture, laden with innocence and vulnerability, is a potent symbol. Across epochs, the Venus Pudica motif resurfaces, each time imbued with new cultural significance. It is a testament to the enduring power of archetypes embedded in our collective memory. The echo of gestures reminds us of our shared, primal understanding of beauty and shame.