Card Number 554, Belle Urquehardt, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card from the late 19th century in the USA, issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. It features Belle Urquehardt, an actress of the time, and is part of a series of actors and actresses. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs as a marketing strategy, reflecting the rise of consumer culture and mass media. The series aimed to associate glamour and fame with the Duke brand, targeting a broad audience. The choice of actors and actresses highlights the growing celebrity culture and the public's fascination with performers. Such cards are valuable historical documents. They help us understand the advertising strategies, the cult of celebrity, and the social values of the time. Extensive research can be done using archives of marketing companies, census data, theatre programmes and publicity of the time, to reveal the complex web of cultural, economic, and institutional forces behind such an image.