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

This photographic card of actress Juliet Arden was printed by Duke Sons & Co. sometime between 1870 and 1920, as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. The production of such cards involved multiple, often uncredited, hands. First a photograph had to be taken, then reproduced in quantity using industrial printing techniques. Here, the sepia tone results from a chemical process, a means of ensuring the image wouldn't fade. The card would have been one of many inserted into cigarette packs, designed to encourage repeat purchases. The proliferation of images like this was directly tied to the rise of consumer culture and mass production. These cards, seemingly inconsequential, were important in the industrialization of image-making. By understanding their original function, we can appreciate how even the humblest of objects carry a wealth of social and cultural meaning.