Card Number 123, Sadie Cortelyou, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-4) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This is card number 123, Sadie Cortelyou, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes. The image is printed on thin card stock, a material more aligned with mass production than fine art. These cards were churned out in vast quantities, and packaged with cigarettes as a marketing gimmick. The process reflects a highly organized system of labor, from the photographers and printmakers who created the images, to the factory workers who assembled the cards and packed them into cigarette boxes. Consider the contrast between the delicate image of Sadie Cortelyou, an actress, and the gritty reality of the factories where these cards were made. The card is a window into the social and economic landscape of the late 19th century, a time of rapid industrialization and the rise of consumer culture. Looking at this humble piece of cardboard, we gain insight into the relationship between art, industry, and everyday life. It challenges us to consider how materials, making, and context shape our understanding of what art can be.