Card Number 192, Maud Grau, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 192, Maud Grau, from the Actors and Actresses series, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. These cards were a product of the late 19th century when consumer culture and advertising were rapidly expanding. Popular actresses, like Maud Grau, were used to create aspirational associations with products like cigarettes, targeting a broad audience and shaping societal ideals of beauty and success. Maud Grau’s pose and attire are carefully constructed to evoke a sense of pastoral innocence, yet her confident gaze hints at the complexities of a woman navigating the entertainment industry during a time of shifting gender roles. Though the card is small and seemingly trivial, it encapsulates the convergence of commerce, celebrity, and the evolving image of women in American society. It reflects both the opportunities and the objectification inherent in the rise of mass media.