Card Number 391, Miss Hermann, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Card Number 391, Miss Hermann, was issued by Duke Sons & Co., manufacturers of Cross Cut Cigarettes. The image is a photograph, mass produced to be included in cigarette packs. The image is a small card, and the photographic printing captures the likeness of Miss Hermann, an actress, with remarkable detail. The sepia tone results from the photographic process typical of the time, giving the card a vintage and nostalgic feel. The card stock itself, though humble, speaks volumes about the industrial processes of the late 19th century, when the proliferation of printed images went hand in hand with the rise of mass marketing. This was a time when celebrity culture was taking hold, and when the intense labor of tobacco cultivation and cigarette production was transforming the American South. The fact that an image of an actress could be used to sell cigarettes speaks to the intertwining of entertainment, commerce, and the changing social mores of the period. This unassuming card offers a fascinating glimpse into the material culture of its time. It highlights how commercial imagery was part and parcel of broader social and economic transformations.