Card Number 380, Ellen Rossiter, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Card Number 380, Ellen Rossiter, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. between 1870 and 1920, is a promotional cigarette card. It's part of a series featuring actors and actresses, reflecting the late 19th-century culture of celebrity endorsements and the burgeoning advertising industry. Rossiter is depicted in a way that emphasizes her beauty and allure, conforming to the visual codes which were typical of representations of women at the time. The card, while seemingly innocuous, tells a story about the social and cultural values projected onto women, and their role in marketing and consumerism. It presents questions about how women's identities were both celebrated and commodified. The image's intimate yet public nature invites us to consider the interplay between personal identity and public image. How did performers like Rossiter negotiate their sense of self in an era of mass media and advertising? How do these images shape our understanding of beauty, fame, and the power of representation?