Card Number 220, Irene Hoyt, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is a trade card from the Actors and Actresses series, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the late 19th century to promote Cameo Cigarettes. What does it mean to link the performance of actors and actresses with the consumption of cigarettes? This image creates meaning through a set of visual and cultural codes. The photographic realism implies authenticity. Yet the subject is in costume and poses in front of a painted backdrop. The card was made in the United States at a time of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Advertising was an emergent industry, and the image presents the modern phenomenon of celebrity endorsement. The card subtly suggests that buying cigarettes is glamorous and sophisticated. To understand the culture of the time, one can consult archives of advertising history. The meaning of this seemingly simple card is contingent on its historical, social and institutional contexts.