Card Number 55, Sadie Martinot, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 55, Sadie Martinot, a promotional item made by W. Duke, Sons & Co., to promote Duke Cigarettes. These cards, trading cards if you will, reveal much about the period they were made in. The actress Sadie Martinot's likeness was used to promote and sell Duke Cigarettes. This act placed her image into the hands of everyday consumers, primarily men, intertwining her identity as a performer with a product associated with leisure and perhaps rebellion. During this era, women were often objectified and commodified in advertising, reinforcing gender stereotypes. Sadie Martinot's representation reflects the limited roles available to women in the public sphere, primarily as objects of beauty or entertainment. Her presence on a cigarette card also highlights the complex relationship between women, consumer culture, and emerging mass media at the turn of the century. These cards both shaped and mirrored societal attitudes, reminding us of the power of images in constructing identity. They prompt us to consider the interplay between personal expression, commercial interests, and societal expectations.