Card Number 238, Miss Kirker, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This card, featuring Miss Kirker, was created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series to promote Duke Cigarettes. It is a simple printed paper card. The image is a reminder that photography, once a high art, had by this time been fully integrated into industrial production. These small cards, mass-produced and inserted into cigarette packs, were meant to be collected, traded, and consumed. Each card, a small piece of paper, represents a cog in the machine of late 19th-century capitalism. The company churned out millions of these images, capitalizing on celebrity culture to sell their products. The card's material and context speak volumes about the changing landscape of art and commerce. No longer was art confined to the gallery or the salon; instead, it infiltrated everyday life, becoming a tool for advertising and consumption. This challenges our traditional notions of art, prompting us to consider the role of mass production and commercialism in shaping our visual culture.