Duke of Cambridge, from the Celebrities and Prizefighters series (N174) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1887 - 1888

This card, portraying the Duke of Cambridge, was produced by Goodwin & Company as part of the "Celebrities and Prizefighters" series of Old Judge Cigarettes. These cards were printed using a photographic process, likely albumen or silver gelatin, techniques which were then at the cutting edge of industrial image production. The sepia tone and delicate detail of the image speak to the chemical processes involved, requiring careful calibration and skilled labor. The cards like these were not conceived as high art, yet they are indicative of a burgeoning culture of mass production and consumption. Consider the hands that developed, printed, and cut these images, and then inserted them into cigarette packs, and the relationship between these workers, the consumers, and the famous figures represented. In these small photographs, we see the seeds of a modern celebrity culture, manufactured and disseminated through the very products people consumed. This collapses distinctions between art, advertising, and everyday life.