Card Number 183, Marie Winner, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is "Card Number 183, Marie Winner", a promotional card made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. around the turn of the 20th century. It would have been inserted in packs of Cameo Cigarettes. The sepia photograph captures Marie Winner in costume, seated with a theatrical backdrop. The composition is simple but carefully arranged, using the sitter’s pose to draw the eye across the frame. Winner is depicted in a way that would have appealed to the consumers of the time. Her ruffled clothing and the curve of her legs create a dynamic rhythm that enlivens the small format. The card’s function as advertising is not separate from its aesthetic qualities. The formal elements like the choice of pose, the theatrical costume, and soft lighting all work together to create an image of allure, associating the cigarettes with glamour and aspiration. What could the structure of this small image reveal about the cultural values of the time?