Card Number 162, Hellen Greyson, 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, circa 1870-1920, by W. Duke, Sons & Co., featuring actress Hellen Greyson. The open display of the body, even in a somewhat demure fashion, speaks to an awakening cultural fascination with the performative self and the commodification of beauty. The crossed legs, a seemingly simple pose, echo classical contrapposto, a stance used to convey ease and dynamism, dating back to ancient Greek sculpture. Think of how often this gesture appears in depictions of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Yet, here, the pose is recontextualized. It is no longer about divine beauty but about the allure of the stage, and the sale of cigarettes. This card captures a moment in which the sacred and the profane intertwine, revealing how deeply embedded classical motifs are within the subconscious of visual culture, constantly resurfacing and being reshaped by the desires and anxieties of the modern world.