Rose Coghlan as "The Watermelon," from the series Fancy Dress Ball Costumes (N73) for Duke brand cigarettes 1889

This small printed card was made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as part of a series of cigarette cards, using the medium of chromolithography. Chromolithography was a chemical process, enabling mass production of colour prints from a series of lithographic stones, each applying a different colour. Consider the process involved in creating this card: the original photograph, the hand-drawn separations for each colour, the printing itself, and the distribution of the cards within cigarette packs. The actress Rose Coghlan, dressed as a watermelon, becomes a commodity, used to entice consumers to purchase Duke cigarettes. This image is more than just a portrait; it's a product of industrial capitalism, mass media, and consumer culture. The very texture of the print, achieved through the layering of inks, speaks to this moment in history. By focusing on the material and social context of this card, we can appreciate how images like this reflect a time when art, advertising, and commerce were increasingly intertwined.