Card Number 249, Ruby Melville, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This sepia card, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co., features Ruby Melville in an alluring pose, advertising Cross Cut Cigarettes. The ornate chair Melville reclines in draws my attention, its high back adorned with a quatrefoil motif. This design, reminiscent of Gothic cathedral windows, evokes the sacred space and moral authority of the church. Yet, here it is, supporting an actress in a suggestive pose used for commercial purposes. Observe how the quatrefoil, once a symbol of divine perfection, becomes intertwined with worldly desires and consumption. This is the enduring power of symbols, their ability to resurface in unexpected contexts. Like a memory that lingers in the subconscious, motifs transform over time, reflecting the evolving values of society. This commodification of sacred imagery speaks volumes about the shifting dynamics of culture and how symbols are constantly reinterpreted.