Card Number 210, Marie Burroughs, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Here we have "Card Number 210, Marie Burroughs," a photographic print dating back to the 1880s, issued by Duke Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. Editor: This piece is striking because it presents an image of refinement alongside an advertisement for cigarettes, which feels quite dissonant to our modern sensibilities. What should we make of this, putting on our historian hat? Curator: It tells us a lot about the commodification of celebrity and the evolving role of women in the public sphere at the time. Cigarette cards, like this one, became incredibly popular; imagine them as the baseball cards of the Victorian era, but instead of athletes, you had actors and actresses. The mass production and distribution of these cards suggest an expansion of consumer culture, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely. I’m wondering, though, about the social implications. These cards featured actresses – figures already somewhat controversial in society. Did the cards somehow legitimize the performance arts? Or perhaps the cigarettes? Curator: A brilliant point. You're seeing the push and pull of social forces at play. By associating their product with popular figures, Duke Cigarettes sought to normalize and perhaps even elevate their brand. At the same time, it offered actresses broader recognition, albeit within the context of commercial promotion. Did that empower them, or further objectify them? Editor: Fascinating. It seems that art and consumerism have a complex relationship, one that often reflects and reinforces existing power structures. Thank you! Curator: A perfect analysis; examining the purpose, target, and socio-political influences help in deconstructing images and understanding history.