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

Curator: This card featuring Mlle. Bosc is from the Actors and Actresses series, produced by Duke Sons & Co. between 1890 and 1895 as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. The piece is a print that comes from a charcoal drawing. Editor: It’s strikingly monochromatic, almost ethereal. Her gauzy shawl blends seamlessly with the soft background, creating a dreamlike, intangible quality. And that subtle sepia tone – it speaks of a bygone era, doesn’t it? Curator: Absolutely. And let's consider the social context. These cards were designed for mass consumption. Cigarette companies sought to capture public imagination and cultivate brand loyalty, and collectible series featuring popular figures were an accessible way to accomplish it. This blurred the lines between high art and everyday life. Editor: Exactly. And think about the labor involved. From the initial charcoal drawing, photography, to the mass printing process. How did workers at Duke Sons & Co. perceive their role in creating this kind of "art"? What were their wages? These were consumer objects meant to be discarded, not displayed in museums. The fact that we see one here asks an important question: what gives an object the authority to be exhibited? Curator: That point of transition is crucial. The cards weren't viewed as art, but cultural ephemera. Yet, institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art recognize them as important historical documents reflecting celebrity culture, marketing strategies, and even photography techniques of the time. The politics of what's deemed worthy of preservation are constantly shifting. Editor: I’m particularly intrigued by the implicit performance of celebrity, here. Mlle. Bosc becomes a product herself, packaged to entice consumption, and her person is now intrinsically linked to Duke Cigarettes and to a certain lifestyle. Her actual talent becomes secondary. Curator: Indeed, these cards are a rich reminder of how image, commerce, and public persona intertwined. They demonstrate that understanding the full context of art requires analyzing not only its visual properties but also its material existence and the socioeconomic forces that brought it into being. Editor: Absolutely. It compels me to consider our contemporary moment, how companies now utilize art as an endorsement and in ways that still speak to questions of consumption. It makes me wonder if there is truly ever an escape from the mechanisms of production and consumption.