Card Number 384, Miss Janser, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This card featuring Miss Janser was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Cameo Cigarettes. These cards, common in the late 19th century in the United States, offer a fascinating glimpse into the era's commercial and cultural landscape. They were a part of a larger trend of using images of actresses, sports figures, and other celebrities to market various products. Here, Miss Janser's carefully constructed image speaks to the period's ideals of beauty and femininity. The card participates in constructing an image of the actress, and her celebrity then becomes a vector for selling cigarettes. To fully understand the card's significance, we can look into advertising history and the rise of consumer culture in the Gilded Age. We can research Miss Janser's career and the role of actresses in shaping popular opinion. What was the relationship between performance and the world of commercial advertising? This card tells us that art is always contingent on its historical, social, and institutional contexts.