Card Number 566, Mary Anderson, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This card, featuring actress Mary Anderson, was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their cigarettes. Printed on thin cardstock, the image is a sepia-toned photograph, likely mass-produced using photomechanical techniques common in the late 19th century. Consider the material here: cheap paper, designed for fleeting consumption. It’s a far cry from the materials we usually associate with fine art. The card was included in cigarette packs, an everyday commodity, highlighting the intersection of entertainment, advertising, and tobacco consumption. The process of mass printing these cards democratized access to images of celebrities, but also turned Anderson's likeness into a tool for selling cigarettes. The contrast between Anderson's refined image and the mundane purpose of the card speaks volumes about the era's values and the blurring of art, commerce, and celebrity culture. In the end, it invites us to rethink the boundaries of art and its relationship to mass production.