Agnes Huntington, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

This photograph of Agnes Huntington comes from a series of trading cards issued by Duke Sons & Co. around the late 19th century to promote Duke Cigarettes. This image, like others in the series, offers a glimpse into the cultural values and social hierarchies of the Gilded Age. Huntington, an actress, is presented as an object of beauty and aspiration. The image participates in the burgeoning consumer culture, where celebrities and idealized images were used to sell products. The figure is tightly corseted, according to the fashions of the time. The distribution of these cards speaks to the changing landscape of media and advertising, reflecting the growing power of corporations and the rise of mass marketing techniques. To truly understand this image, one might research the history of tobacco advertising and the role of women in the late 19th-century entertainment industry. Art is very much a product of its time.