Card Number 559, Miss Bartine, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This small card, dating from the late 19th century, was made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. It’s a printed image, part of a series featuring actors and actresses, and was included in cigarette packs. What’s interesting here is the way that industrial production, entertainment, and marketing were intertwined. The card itself is ephemeral; it’s made from cheap paper, meant to be discarded. But the image has a certain appeal, promising access to a glamorous world. It is a reminder that photographs like this were not simply documents, but were also commodities. Consider the labor involved in both the tobacco and printing industries – the cultivation, harvesting, and processing of tobacco, and the mass production of these cards. The circulation of images like these was made possible by these processes, connecting audiences with celebrities, while simultaneously promoting consumption. The card's survival speaks to our enduring fascination with celebrity culture, and the way it has been shaped by capitalism.