Card Number 633, Celie Ellis, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This card, featuring actress Celie Ellis, was made around the turn of the 20th century by W. Duke, Sons & Co., using photo-printing on card stock. It was issued to promote Duke Cigarettes. It’s worth noting the contrast between the seemingly glamorous image and its utterly workaday production. This card wasn't made using traditional art materials; its value was purely commercial. These cards were churned out in vast quantities, a by-product of industrial capitalism. Photography itself was relatively new at the time, and its use here speaks to a desire to harness the power of celebrity culture for the purposes of advertising. Consider also the labor involved. The photography, the printing, the packaging of the cigarettes themselves – all of it relied on a vast, often unseen workforce. This card, then, is not just a portrait of an actress, but also a snapshot of a particular moment in the history of labor, commerce, and consumption. So next time you light up, consider the complex web of making that makes it all possible.