Daisy Hall, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Duke Cigarettes, featuring the actress Daisy Hall, made around the turn of the 20th century. The card is made using photography and mass printing, processes that were rapidly changing visual culture at the time. The sepia tone gives it a sense of nostalgia, even then. It’s important to remember that mass-produced images like this, though small and seemingly insignificant, were part of a huge shift in how people perceived the world. Photography democratized image-making, moving it away from the realm of painting, which had previously been the dominant mode of portraiture. Cards like these were essentially advertisements, and relied on the labor of factory workers who produced them on a massive scale. They speak to the rise of consumer culture and the use of celebrity endorsements, even at this early date. So next time you light up, consider the complex history contained within even the simplest of images.