Card Number 341, Minnie Steele, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Cross Cut Cigarettes, issued by Duke Sons & Co. in the late 19th century, featuring actress Minnie Steele. These cards offer insight into the era’s cultural values and emerging advertising strategies. The image presents Steele in theatrical costume and pose. Tobacco companies, keen to associate their products with glamour, frequently used popular actresses to promote their goods. The cards were inserted into cigarette packs, encouraging repeat purchases and fostering brand loyalty. This conflation of entertainment and consumerism reflects the growing commercialization of leisure and celebrity culture in the Gilded Age. Further understanding of the social and institutional contexts of this card requires delving into archives of advertising history, theatrical ephemera, and business records of tobacco companies. Through such research, we can begin to grasp the complex interplay of commerce, entertainment, and social values that shaped the visual culture of the period.