Miss Eastlake, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This small card featuring Miss Eastlake comes from a series of actors and actresses issued by the cigarette company, W. Duke & Sons, sometime between 1870 and 1920. These cards served as promotional items, tucked into cigarette packs to encourage collecting and brand loyalty. But consider the cultural context: the late 19th century saw a surge in both tobacco consumption and the popularity of live theatre. Placing images of stage performers within cigarette packs cleverly linked these two forms of popular entertainment and consumer culture. The image itself, a carefully posed portrait, suggests a certain ideal of feminine beauty and respectability, which were values that the company wanted to associate with their product. Understanding this card requires us to look beyond its surface. We can ask: who was Miss Eastlake? What kind of roles did she play? How did the commodification of her image impact her career and public perception? By exploring archival sources, theatre histories, and advertising ephemera, we can begin to unpack the complex social and economic forces at play in this seemingly simple cigarette card.