Card Number 48, Miss Carroll, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This card, featuring Miss Carroll, was made in the late 19th century by W. Duke, Sons & Co., using photographic printing. It’s one of many that were included in packs of Cross Cut Cigarettes. The card’s sepia tones give it an antique feel, but it's the method of its production that I find most interesting. Photography had become relatively widespread by this point, but to reproduce it at this scale and volume was no small feat. The company was mass-producing these cards, inserting them into cigarette packs as a marketing ploy. In doing so, Duke was cleverly associating their brand with popular actresses. They were also generating a desire to collect, to see and be seen with images like this one. This was a new form of material culture, born of mass production and marketing. It is a great example of how even a seemingly simple image is tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. Understanding these kinds of connections helps us fully appreciate the cultural significance of these everyday artifacts, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.