Card Number 33, Mrs. Langtry, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: Here we have "Card Number 33, Mrs. Langtry," a print dating from the 1880s by W. Duke, Sons & Co. It’s a rather striking portrait, but feels…unexpected on a cigarette card. What makes this image significant to you? Curator: Well, it’s fascinating how this object highlights the intersection of consumer culture, celebrity, and gender in the late 19th century. Mrs. Langtry was a famous actress and socialite – a celebrity of her time. But placing her image on a cigarette card, turning her into a collectible commodity, raises questions. What effect did mass production and dissemination of images have on perceptions of fame and femininity? Editor: So, the cigarette company is essentially using her fame to sell more cigarettes? Is there a commentary being made through her representation? Curator: Exactly! And it prompts us to consider who benefited from this transaction. Duke, Sons & Co. certainly did, using Mrs. Langtry’s image to promote their brand. But what about Mrs. Langtry herself? Did she have control over her image and how it was used? Or was she simply a symbol, a pretty face used to sell a product? Also consider the impact on women consuming these cards. Were they aspiring to Mrs Langtry's fame and fortune? Editor: It’s really unsettling when you frame it that way. This little card is loaded with social commentary about power, advertising, and celebrity culture. I'm still absorbing that. Curator: It's a window into the past, revealing the social and cultural anxieties of the era through the seemingly innocuous medium of a cigarette card. Editor: I never would have looked at it that deeply. It shows that the mundane can reveal bigger truths if we know how to look. Thanks for that!