Card Number 324, Laura Burt, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Cameo Cigarettes by Duke Sons & Co., featuring actress Laura Burt. These cards, popular in the late 19th century, offer a fascinating glimpse into the entwined realms of entertainment, advertising, and gendered expectations. Burt, like many actresses of her time, found herself navigating the complex social terrain of visibility and objectification. As a performer, she was in the public eye, yet her image was also a commodity, used to sell cigarettes. The card captures Burt in a moment of repose, her gaze averted, embodying a sense of delicate femininity that was highly valued. These cards, distributed primarily to men, reinforced societal norms by linking female beauty with the consumption of tobacco, and in some ways perpetuated a dynamic of power and possession. What is particularly interesting about this image is the way that Burt maintains an introspective quality, as if she is both present and distant, simultaneously participating in and resisting the expectations placed upon her. The card serves as a poignant reminder of the complicated roles women have historically played in the public sphere, and invites us to reflect on the subtle ways in which identity is negotiated and represented.