Card Number 12, Kate Vaughn, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This small card showing Kate Vaughn was made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the late nineteenth century as a promotional item for Cross Cut Cigarettes. The card is part of a series featuring actors and actresses, reflecting the rising popularity of celebrity culture at the time. These cards were essentially miniature advertisements, using the allure of famous performers to sell tobacco products. The visual codes are clear: Vaughn is posed in a way that emphasizes her beauty and elegance, conforming to the era's standards. In this context, she is less an individual and more a symbol, a commodity used to enhance the desirability of another commodity. The rise of mass media and advertising at this time created new ways for businesses to shape public perception and promote their products. Understanding these images requires looking beyond their surface appeal, to grasp the social and economic forces that shaped their creation and reception. We might look at archival sources to understand the distribution of this image and the advertising strategies of the time.