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

This monochrome photograph is part of a series of trading cards produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Duke Cigarettes. "Edith Hyman, from the Actors and Actresses series" depicts an actress holding a fan, likely to promote a stage production. The image is a classic example of late 19th-century portraiture, using a simple composition and a focus on the subject's face to capture their likeness. The card's size, a standard for trading cards of the time, makes it a small but significant piece of American history.