Card Number 77, Patti, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is a promotional card for Duke Cigarettes, featuring an image of the actress Patti, made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. sometime between 1870 and 1920. These cards offer a glimpse into the intertwined worlds of entertainment, advertising, and consumer culture. They were inserted into cigarette packs as a marketing strategy, capitalizing on the popularity of actors and actresses to promote the brand. Patti, elegantly depicted in her stage attire, becomes a visual symbol of aspiration, suggesting that smoking Duke Cigarettes could associate the consumer with such glamour. The practice of including collectible cards in products speaks to broader trends in late 19th-century America, such as the rise of mass media, celebrity culture, and consumerism. By looking into archives, advertisements, and business records, we can better understand the social and economic forces that shaped the production and consumption of images like these. Ultimately, this reminds us that art and visual culture are always embedded in a network of social relations.