Card Number 349, Carrie Rumbold, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Take a moment to observe "Card Number 349, Carrie Rumbold," an albumen print dating from the 1880s, part of the Actors and Actresses series by W. Duke, Sons & Co. Editor: There’s a softness to it. The sepia tones give it a lovely vintage feel, almost like looking through a hazy memory. The subject, Carrie, has a wistful gaze that's quite compelling. Curator: Exactly! These cards, intended to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes, circulated widely. Their value lies in understanding 19th-century celebrity culture and the evolving nature of consumerism. Photography was becoming industrialized; imagine these distributed en masse within cigarette packs! Editor: That speaks volumes. The industrial reproduction transforms photography from a luxury into an everyday commodity. The choice of albumen print itself points to this material shift; it was an affordable method for high-volume production, perfectly aligning with Duke's commercial aspirations. I wonder, was Rumbold's image readily available beforehand, or was it specially commissioned for Duke? That impacts its context and dissemination, significantly. Curator: The fact it’s from a series denotes her standing within popular culture, at least in the late 19th century. Though seemingly ephemeral, they became valuable in shaping social values and artistic perception, contributing to our cultural memory. It forces us to reconsider the lines between "high art" and advertising ephemera. Editor: You're spot on. Today, a print like this allows us to reflect on labor, material consumption, and class—offering a perspective into gendered roles and the creation of stardom back then, all embedded within this piece of advertising. Curator: The convergence of commerce and celebrity. It’s amazing how this single image can offer such rich insights into the social fabric of the time. Editor: It really underscores the political implications and power structures embedded in even seemingly trivial imagery. A potent reminder for our times too.