Card Number 393, Maude Stafford, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

Card Number 393, Maude Stafford, was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of an Actors and Actresses series to promote Cameo Cigarettes. These cards were distributed during a time when the burgeoning entertainment industry began to intersect with consumer culture. The image of Maude Stafford, likely an actress, served to glamourise the act of smoking, using her celebrity to promote the cigarette brand. The card reflects the era's commodification of women. She is presented here for public consumption, an object of desire intended to drive sales. The distribution of such cards also speaks to broader issues of labor and industrial production at the time. The mass production of these cards relied on a workforce, often including women and children, working in factories under harsh conditions. This seemingly innocent image encapsulates the complex intersections of celebrity, gender, and consumerism inherent in the American cultural landscape of the late 19th century.