Card Number 112, Gertrude, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Editor: Here we have "Card Number 112, Gertrude" from the Actors and Actresses series, an 1880s print and photograph made to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes by Duke Sons & Co. I’m immediately struck by the use of this young girl's image to sell tobacco. What's your take? Curator: It's vital to look at this card through the lens of material culture. The fact that it was produced *for* consumption, designed to be collected and traded with cigarette packs, immediately connects it to the economies of the 19th century. Editor: So it's not just about the image of Gertrude, but also about what it was used for? Curator: Precisely. The card is essentially advertising ephemera. Who was Gertrude, and did she have any agency in her portrayal? These promotional items often commodified human images alongside the tobacco itself. And how were the materials – the cardstock, the inks – sourced and processed? Where were they manufactured? This is about much more than just a pretty picture; it reflects the processes of image production and the broader industrialization of leisure. Editor: It's strange to think about a photograph as a physical product, and the effect that product had on consumption at the time. Was the labor to produce this sort of thing ethically sound? Curator: Ethical considerations surrounding the production are definitely something we can discuss when we look at later, similar products from Duke. Ultimately, this small card opens a window into understanding 19th-century society, marketing tactics, and the social implications of mass-produced images. It compels us to look beyond the surface. Editor: This really broadens my understanding of the artwork; now, the question of what the material IS becomes just as interesting as the question of what the material shows. Thank you for your insight! Curator: Likewise! Looking at such commercial objects in this light gives us powerful new insight into society.