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

This calling card, titled Theo, comes from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7), issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. A photographic print on card stock, this small rectangle represents a seismic shift in production. Before photography, promoting anything required skilled labor – painters, printers, engravers. But with the advent of photographic printing, the means of production entered a new era. A single photograph, easily reproduced, could now reach a mass audience. Look closely and you'll see the tones, the textures, and the light. These qualities, once painstakingly rendered by hand, are now captured chemically. The production of these cards created a demand for new kinds of labor, from photographers to factory workers who mass-produced and packaged the cards. These cards are a material reminder of a world transformed by mass production and the rise of consumer culture. They invite us to consider the relationship between art, commerce, and the changing nature of work.