[Actress in studio posing on prop boulder], from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This albumen silver print dating from around 1888 was made by W. Duke Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. The image presents an actress in costume, posing on a prop boulder in a studio setting. The late 19th century witnessed the rise of mass media and consumer culture, and this trade card exemplifies the intersection of entertainment, advertising, and photography. Popular actresses, like the one pictured, became recognizable figures whose likenesses were used to sell products. These cards were essentially early forms of celebrity endorsements, and they reflect the increasing commercialization of leisure and the growing visibility of women in public life. To fully understand this image, we can consult theater archives, advertising history collections, and photographic studio records to trace the actress’s career and to examine Duke’s marketing strategies. The meaning of art, as this object demonstrates, is inseparable from its social and institutional context.