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

This is an advertisement card for Duke Cigarettes, likely made around the turn of the 20th century. It features Vesta Victoria, a popular stage performer of the day. The card itself would have been produced using industrial printing techniques, probably photolithography, allowing for mass production and distribution within cigarette packs. The image, sepia-toned and modest in scale, is crucial to understanding its cultural significance. The manufacturing process reflects the rise of consumer culture and the use of celebrity endorsements. Cards like these fueled the desire for collecting and trade, turning everyday items into coveted objects. The card is also a record of labor. Not only the labor involved in cultivating and manufacturing tobacco, but also in the printing and distribution of these cards. These material and social factors provide insight into the relationship between entertainment, advertising, and consumption in a rapidly industrializing world. It encourages us to consider the many hands and processes involved in creating even the smallest of objects.