Kyrle Bellew as Japanese Prince in Court Dressof 200 Years Ago, from the set Actors and Actresses, Second Series (N71) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888 - 1890

Editor: This is a promotional print from between 1888 and 1890 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., titled *Kyrle Bellew as Japanese Prince in Court Dress of 200 Years Ago*. It was produced as part of the "Actors and Actresses" series for Duke brand cigarettes. The material is a colored-pencil drawing. I'm struck by how this embodies a kind of orientalist fantasy, playing on Western fascination with Japanese culture. What’s your read on it? Curator: It’s fascinating how these tobacco cards functioned within the burgeoning culture of celebrity and consumerism. Consider how this image, presented as exotic, was disseminated widely. Duke was essentially selling an image of worldly sophistication along with its cigarettes. Editor: So it’s about marketing and constructing an image? Curator: Precisely! The actor, Kyrle Bellew, is presented in what's claimed to be traditional Japanese attire, but how authentic is it? I think we see an idealized, possibly inaccurate representation influenced by the "Japonisme" craze. How does the presentation contribute to ideas about cultural appropriation at that time? Editor: I never thought about cultural appropriation with trading cards... Curator: Think about it. This card flattens a complex culture into a marketable image for Western consumers. Consider the implications. Who had the power to represent whom? And what cultural narratives are perpetuated? The card serves not only as a piece of commercial art but also as a primary source that reveals social and cultural attitudes. It offers insight into a historical dynamic of cultural exchange, power, and representation. Editor: Wow. I hadn't thought about it that way before. It is definitely an interesting critique.