Miss Linthicum, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

Editor: So, this is “Miss Linthicum,” a photo print from Duke Sons & Co., dating back to the late 1890s. It’s surprisingly small, like a playing card. What's fascinating to me is how it captures this elegance yet also feels… manufactured, almost disposable, which I guess was the point since it's advertising. What do you make of it? Curator: Precisely that tension between the intended function as capitalist ephemera and its potential as a document of material culture is key here. Think about the tobacco industry: The physical object of a cigarette becomes intrinsically linked to the commodification of glamour. The image itself becomes a currency within that social transaction. Editor: So, the card is both art and advertisement. How did this blend influence the perception of art at the time? Curator: This sort of commercial image democratized image production and consumption, creating access that fine art traditionally excluded. Examining the industrial processes behind the mass production, photography, printing techniques, reveals a change in social values that occurred alongside the rise of consumerism. These items document celebrity culture in the making. Does knowing its origin affect your appreciation? Editor: It does. I initially saw a portrait of an actress. Knowing it promoted cigarettes changes the tone completely; suddenly it becomes less about her and more about what she sells. Curator: Absolutely, consider also the conditions in which it was made - who were the workers and the working conditions. Are they implicated in its appeal? These "lowly" materials yield fascinating truths. Editor: It’s interesting to consider that what might be considered a piece of capitalist machinery could hold valuable meaning. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Examining how production, distribution and marketing function can offer us unexpected ways of viewing history.