[Actress wearing dress with ornate lace collar], from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This photograph of an actress in a lace collar was produced in the United States around 1900 by W. Duke & Sons, as one of a series of promotional cards included in packs of Duke Cigarettes. This image exists at the intersection of the rise of celebrity culture and the growth of mass marketing at the turn of the century. The actress, with her elaborate hat and fashionable collar, represents a kind of aspiration for consumers. Tobacco companies like Duke were among the first to recognize the commercial potential of associating their products with popular figures. The widespread distribution of these cards also contributed to the standardization of beauty ideals. To fully understand the appeal of images like these, we must consider the social and economic forces at play during the Gilded Age, a period of rapid industrialization and growing consumerism. Researching advertising history, the history of photography, and the biographies of popular actresses can reveal how images like this one reflected, and helped to shape, the cultural values of the time.