Card Number 246, Charlotte Tittell, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 246, Charlotte Tittell, from the Actors and Actresses series, a promotional cigarette card produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. During the late 19th century, the rise of consumer culture and mass media created new avenues for advertising. Cigarette cards were a part of this phenomenon, offering miniature portraits of celebrities and promoting ideals of beauty and success. In this card, Charlotte Tittell, a stage actress, is depicted with a pearl necklace and fur stole; her gaze drifts dreamily upward, epitomizing the period's aesthetic ideals. The card reflects the era's complex relationship with women in the public sphere. While offering visibility, it also commodified their images as objects of consumption. Tittell's association with Duke Cigarettes blurs the lines between personal identity, public image, and corporate branding. Consider how this conflation speaks to our own contemporary moment, where personal branding and social media are intertwined.