Card Number 238, Miss Gerioux, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This small card was printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the United States as a promotional item for Cross Cut Cigarettes in the late 19th century. At this time, the burgeoning culture of mass media saw an explosion in printed ephemera, and it was common for tobacco companies to include collectible cards in their products. These cards often featured portraits of popular actresses and public figures, like Miss Gerioux, whose images were rapidly disseminated and consumed. The commercialization of celebrity was well underway, with photographs functioning as a key tool for constructing and circulating images of beauty and fame. What is the public role of images like this? They certainly reflect the social conditions that shaped artistic production. By studying such objects, we can trace the complex interplay between commerce, celebrity, and visual culture in the shaping of modern identity.