Card Number 757, Louisa Montague, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is a trade card from the late nineteenth century, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series promoting their Duke Cigarettes. The card features Louisa Montague, a popular actress of the time. Trade cards like these served as both advertising and collectible items. They offer insight into the cultural values and consumerism of the Gilded Age in the United States, where an expanding economy met new forms of mass media and advertising. Montague's elegant attire and refined appearance embody the aspirational ideals of the era. The card presents the theater as a space for women, both as workers and consumers. It is a striking example of the entanglement of entertainment, celebrity culture, and the marketing strategies of the burgeoning tobacco industry. To fully understand its significance, we might look to the history of advertising, theater, and the tobacco industry. This helps us understand how these cards participated in shaping public perceptions and desires at the time.