Sarah Bernhardt in an Old Russian Costume as a Girl of Bielozersk, from the set Actors and Actresses, First Series (N70) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888 - 1889

This small chromolithograph was produced around 1890 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a cigarette card. It features the famous French actress Sarah Bernhardt in costume. Cigarette cards like this one were a late 19th-century marketing phenomenon. They were designed to stiffen cigarette packs and promote collecting. This card belongs to a series depicting actors and actresses. Bernhardt is shown here in what the text calls an ‘Old Russian Costume’, identifying her as ‘A Girl of Bielozersk’. The costume itself, complete with jeweled kokoshnik, signals a fascination with Russian culture that swept Europe at this time, fueled by increased trade and diplomatic exchange. The actress’s fame would have added considerable value to the product. This image gives us a glimpse into how celebrity culture intersected with commercial enterprise during this period. To understand this image better, we can consult archives of advertising ephemera, theater programs, and fashion plates. These resources help us understand the cultural context in which it was made and consumed.