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

Editor: This is a promotional card, dating from between 1890 and 1895, featuring the opera singer Emma Abbott. It was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to advertise Duke Cigarettes. The sepia tone gives it a really antique feeling. What symbolic weight do you see in its composition and creation? Curator: The interesting aspect here lies in the use of Emma Abbott, a celebrated opera singer, to sell cigarettes. Think about the symbolism: she’s embodying aspiration and refinement, right? And the cigarette company uses her image to create an association of their product with high culture and celebrity. Editor: So, it's less about *her* and more about what she represents? Curator: Precisely! And more than that, the image itself is meticulously crafted. Note the chair— it’s almost like a throne. She is strategically staged, from the slight hand gesture, which has elements of deference and welcome, all the way down to her clothing’s detailed textures. It's an orchestrated effort to create meaning. The question is, does it succeed? Does this strategy work today? Editor: Well, I definitely noticed the aspiration association before even realizing what it was an ad for. The setting certainly reinforces that impression too, with the vaguely classical doorway and the draped fabrics. What does it say about our culture if someone can connect Emma Abbott and Duke cigarettes and use this memory today? Curator: Perhaps it shows the enduring power of carefully constructed images and celebrity endorsements, even across generations and changes in cultural norms. What it does is bring forward that cultural memory from that day when these tobacco cards and portraits circulated through the nation. That initial memory, created with symbolism and strategy, can indeed endure and is potentially triggered by its current presentation today! Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. Thanks; I now see layers I would have otherwise missed! Curator: And I now think this particular type of image should be revisited again through the lenses of semiotics and contemporary social memory. Thank you for that realization!