Card Number 189, Fannie Summerville, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This photograph of Fannie Summerville was one of a series of collectible cards issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes in the late 19th century. These cards, featuring actors and actresses, offer a glimpse into the cultural values of the Gilded Age. Summerville, like other actresses featured on these cards, was in a way both celebrated and commodified. These images circulated widely, contributing to the burgeoning celebrity culture, while also reinforcing societal expectations of women as objects of beauty and desire. The card provides an intimate, almost voyeuristic view of Summerville, capturing a tension between public performance and private life. The distribution of these cards also intersected with the rise of consumer culture and the aggressive marketing tactics employed by tobacco companies. They speak to a time when the lines between entertainment, advertising, and personal identity were increasingly blurred. The photograph provides a lens through which we might consider the complex dynamics of gender, representation, and commerce in American history.