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

This small card featuring Mlle. Goetz, part of the Actors and Actresses series, was created around the turn of the century by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. It's a snapshot of how commercial interests intersected with the burgeoning entertainment industry. These cards were a means to promote both the stage and the brand, and in doing so, it created a visual culture deeply embedded in the social hierarchies of the time. Note how Mlle Goetz is styled in what was considered ‘exotic’ garb. This hints at the orientalist fantasies popular then. These representations were not innocent; they perpetuated stereotypes that often romanticized some cultures while simultaneously diminishing them. Portraits like these are cultural artifacts that remind us how identities are constructed, consumed, and sometimes, distorted through the lens of commercialism and popular culture.