Card Number 628, Hattie Robins, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: This is “Card Number 628, Hattie Robins” from the Actors and Actresses series. It was created in the 1880s by W. Duke, Sons & Co., seemingly as an advertisement on cigarette cards, and it's at the Met. The hazy photograph has a dreamlike quality to it, almost romantic. How should we approach interpreting its historical context? Curator: That's a good starting point. Considering its origins, how does knowing this was a mass-produced cigarette card shape our understanding of the imagery of the celebrity, Hattie Robins? Editor: Well, it makes me think about accessibility. Suddenly, owning an image of a famous actress wasn’t limited to the wealthy. These cards democratized celebrity, didn’t they? But I wonder about the implications of connecting female image with something as hazardous as cigarettes... Curator: Exactly. These cards actively participated in the popularization of celebrities through mass consumerism and advertising. How do you think that affects Hattie's presentation, her pose, and the visual storytelling in the context of commerce and gender roles during that period? Editor: So it is selling not just cigarettes, but a certain image of womanhood – associating aspiration, beauty, and popularity with the product, right? Is Hattie just a pretty face or does this card elevate her role somehow? Curator: Precisely. It uses her perceived status as an actress. By having a collectible object that one could carry around and show, what kind of relationship is formed between the admirer and admired? And how did that impact public perception of celebrities like Hattie Robins, their roles and identities outside their artistic work? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way. It shows how interconnected art, celebrity culture, and advertising truly are! I am leaving with a renewed sense of their power and impact. Curator: Me too. Analyzing how popular imagery blurs these lines helps understand the social dynamics around visual media.