Card Number 208, Lizzie Harold, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This card, dating from around 1900, was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes. It features a photograph of Lizzie Harold, an actress of the time, and like other cards in the series, was printed using industrial methods to produce thousands of copies. The card’s material qualities reflect the needs of mass production, with the photograph printed on thin card stock. The image itself would have been created in a photographic studio, the lights, props, and backdrops carefully chosen to create a particular effect. As for the mode of production, these would have been churned out by the thousands, tucked into cigarette packs as an incentive to purchase. The image is an early example of celebrity endorsement, linking the glamour of the stage with the pleasures of smoking. But the card is also a reminder of the labor involved in both the entertainment and tobacco industries, raising questions about the working conditions of both the actress and the factory workers who produced the cigarettes and the cards themselves. It’s a far cry from ‘high art,’ but is revealing of its social and industrial context.