Card Number 520, Josset Gymnase, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 520, "Josset Gymnase," a promotional card made by Duke Sons & Co. sometime between 1870 and 1920. Produced as a cigarette insert, its sepia tones and compact form speak to the aesthetics of mass-produced ephemera of the period. The composition is dominated by the figure of the actress Josset Gymnase, positioned in profile. The structure of the image—the arrangement of light and shadow—gives shape to her features. The textured materiality of her garments creates a softness that contrasts with the rigid commercial typography found at the bottom of the card. The card reflects a semiotic intersection of entertainment, advertising, and consumer culture. It challenges traditional notions of art, blurring the boundaries between high culture and popular appeal by using the allure of celebrity to sell cigarettes. The card is not just an image but a cultural artifact that engages with broader issues of representation and commerce.