Card Number 166, Sadie Bruno, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: Here we have "Card Number 166, Sadie Bruno," a portrait from the 1880s, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a cigarette promotion. It's quite charming, but feels so odd that this delicate image was part of a marketing ploy for something as…unhealthy as cigarettes. How do you interpret this work within the context of its creation? Curator: This card exemplifies how imagery becomes intertwined with commerce and societal values. The burgeoning advertising industry leveraged popular actresses like Sadie Bruno to create associations between cigarettes and glamour. It is really interesting that these objects end up in museums, completely divorced from their origins. Editor: So, you're saying that the actress's celebrity status would help sell more cigarettes? Curator: Precisely! Think about it: in the 1880s, consumer culture was taking off. By placing Sadie Bruno on these cards, Duke hoped to tap into her perceived public persona. These small, mass-produced images also democratized access to celebrity culture, distributing images of Sadie Bruno far and wide, even though, it seems, there is very little else we can find on the subject! This really highlights the socio-political power inherent in image production and distribution. Where do you think museums factor into that production today? Editor: Hmm, so the museum now gives this advertising card a new meaning... Now it's not about the cigarettes at all, but rather about consumerism and celebrity itself. I see it! Thanks! Curator: It also makes us consider how art institutions reinforce some values, but might also question others. Quite fascinating!