Richard Mansfield in Norwegian Summer Costume, from the set Actors and Actresses, First Series (N70) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888 - 1889

This is Richard Mansfield in Norwegian Summer Costume, a lithograph card produced around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series of actors and actresses included in Duke cigarettes. Here we see Mansfield, a British actor, in what is described as a ‘Norwegian Summer Costume’. But what does it mean to wear the clothes of another culture? Mansfield’s adoption of Norwegian garb speaks to the complex relationship between performance, identity, and cultural appropriation. As an actor, Mansfield inhabited various roles, blurring the lines between his own identity and those he portrayed. Yet, this image also raises questions about the exoticization of cultures for commercial purposes. The use of a ‘Norwegian Summer Costume’ as a marketing tool highlights the way in which cultural identities can be commodified and consumed. The image is a window into the historical dynamics of cultural exchange, power, and representation. How might the Norwegian community have felt about their cultural symbols being used to sell cigarettes? This image asks us to consider these questions.