Card Number 66, Miss Sadie Martinot, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

"Card Number 66, Miss Sadie Martinot" was made in the late 19th century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes. These cards, trading cards really, were a product of their time, reflecting the burgeoning advertising industry and the cult of celebrity. Sadie Martinot, a popular actress, becomes a commodity here, her image used to sell cigarettes, a product itself intertwined with complex social and gender dynamics. Tobacco use was heavily marketed towards women during this period, linking smoking with sophistication and independence, even as its harmful effects were becoming known. Consider the power dynamics at play: Martinot's image, her likeness, is being used by a corporation, and consumed by a public, mostly male. The image flattens her identity, reducing her to a pretty face, an object of desire. Yet, in a way, she also gains power through this representation, becoming a household name. The card is a small, material artifact reflecting larger societal trends of commodification, celebrity culture, and gendered marketing.