Card Number 117, Vernona Jarbeau, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-4) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 117, Vernona Jarbeau, from the Actors and Actresses series, created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes. Printed on a small card, the sepia-toned photograph depicts a woman in profile. Its material, mass-produced paper, immediately signals its purpose: advertising. Consider the processes involved: photography, printing, and distribution, all geared toward selling cigarettes. The card itself is a product of industrial capitalism, linking art, commerce, and consumption. The image of Vernona Jarbeau, an actress, adds another layer, connecting celebrity culture to the marketing of tobacco. It is easy to see these cards as disposable ephemera. Yet they reflect the cultural values and economic forces of their time. By looking at the materials, methods, and context of this card, we can move beyond traditional art history, engaging with broader issues of labor, politics, and consumption in the late 19th century.