Card Number 68, Sadie Roosevelt, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This card from around 1900 by W. Duke Sons & Co. used photographic printmaking to promote Duke Cigarettes. But its value lies far beyond mere advertising. The image of actress Sadie Roosevelt connects to larger issues of labor, class, and consumption. Tobacco cards like these were made possible by new technologies, and rising consumer culture. They also speak volumes about the labor that went into their production, the social life of their time, and their cultural impact. The small card is a product of industrial processes and mass production, churning out images en masse to entice consumers. By distributing these cards, Duke Cigarettes sought to enhance their brand and cultivate customer loyalty. The manufacturing of these cards provided employment for workers in factories, contributing to the growth of the printing and advertising industries. In the end, we must consider the cultural significance of these cards as artifacts of consumer culture and social history, rather than solely dismissing them as ephemera.