Card Number 335, Annie Colley, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Here we have Card Number 335, a photograph of Annie Colley. It’s part of the Actors and Actresses series, dating back to the 1880s. These were distributed by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. Editor: She's in mid-performance. You can practically hear the music. The detailing in the costume looks quite intricate for what essentially boils down to advertising paraphernalia. Curator: Indeed. The goal was to elevate the status of a mass-produced product by associating it with the glamour of the stage. Consider this as an early instance of celebrity endorsement shaping popular culture. Editor: I’m struck by the materiality, though. The photographic print itself feels almost like a precious commodity when you consider the social context – the labor involved in the production of these cards, the distribution networks… were they a luxury? A mere giveaway? Curator: It’s fascinating how this object operates on different levels. On one hand, a seemingly disposable commodity. On the other, it reveals evolving marketing strategies during the Gilded Age, where branding became increasingly crucial for business success. The portrait of Annie Colley lends a veneer of respectability. Editor: What strikes me is her pose; is this a theatrical convention or has this been guided? How much agency does Colley have here, beyond being an image for capitalist expansion, she herself is labouring, performing for the photograph. Curator: It reflects how the art world and the emerging consumer culture were becoming increasingly intertwined. Think about it: theatrical performers were the celebrities of their day, shaping tastes and influencing social trends. Duke Cigarettes latched onto that popularity to gain wider market appeal. Editor: These tobacco cards provide a unique look at art as it gets put into a market system; we tend to seperate ‘high’ and ‘low’ art. Thinking through it with a more social and material view allows us to see beyond such strict, class based art practices and look more at what’s produced en masse for a large swathe of society. Curator: Exactly. Examining these promotional items as a means for corporations to shape cultural identity. What was previously considered disposable is now preserved in a museum, a reflection on changing cultural attitudes. Editor: Looking at it through the lens of the artist, worker, or producer adds another interesting angle to the image of mass manufacture. The artwork really encourages that mode of enquiry and challenges assumptions.