Card Number 182, Lucette Vickers, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

Lucette Vickers, of the Actors and Actresses series, was printed around 1900 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. These cards, made of thin paper stock, were included in cigarette packs. The image itself is a mass-produced photograph, likely taken in a studio. Consider the sheer volume of these cards that were printed and distributed. It speaks to the rise of industrial capitalism and mass consumerism during this period, with the production of cheap, disposable goods flooding the market. The card is a material embodiment of this shift, linking art, advertising, and the everyday consumption habits of the public. Even the choice of subject—a beautiful actress—reflects the commodification of celebrity and the entertainment industry. In the end, a humble artifact like this reveals the complex interplay between art, commerce, and society. It challenges us to reconsider the boundaries of art history and acknowledge the cultural significance of even the most seemingly ordinary objects.