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

This card featuring Miss Benney was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. sometime between 1870 and 1920 as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. Part of a series featuring actors and actresses, the card participates in the burgeoning celebrity culture of the late 19th century. Here, Miss Benney is pictured in what appears to be a Japanese-style costume, complete with a fan and ornate vase. The image reflects the West's fascination with and often inaccurate representation of Asian cultures during this period. This orientalism was a common theme in popular entertainment and visual culture, revealing complex dynamics of cultural exchange, power, and exoticism. To understand this image better, we can look into theatre history, advertising, and the history of orientalism in visual culture, which will reveal much about the social and cultural context in which this card was made and consumed.