Card Number 730, Piccola, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This small card was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co., sometime between 1870 and 1920. It's made of paper, printed with an image of an actress named Piccola. These cards were essentially advertisements, inserted into packs of Cross Cut Cigarettes to entice customers. In that sense, this little artifact is all about commerce. The image itself is a clue to that. Piccola is presented as an object of desire. And the card, as a whole, equates that star power with the allure of the product. But consider the labor involved. While photography was becoming industrialized, the printing of millions of these cards required an immense workforce. The raw materials of paper and ink had to be produced, transported, and processed. When you look at this unassuming card, you're seeing the end result of an enormous system of production and consumption. It reminds us that even the smallest objects can be powerful indicators of social and economic forces.