Card Number 332, Lulu Mortimer, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

Card Number 332, Lulu Mortimer, is a promotional image made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. for Cameo Cigarettes. The image is part of a larger series of cards featuring actors and actresses. In this photograph, Lulu Mortimer is presented in a way that both celebrates and commodifies her image. These cards existed within a culture that was rapidly changing, with new forms of mass media and advertising shaping public perception. The card reflects the complex dynamics of gender and performance at the time, offering us a glimpse into how women in the entertainment industry navigated their identities. Actresses like Lulu Mortimer were both admired and scrutinized, their bodies and personas becoming objects of public consumption. By placing Lulu Mortimer's image on a cigarette card, W. Duke, Sons & Co. intertwined her identity with their product, suggesting a connection between glamour, pleasure, and consumption. What remains is a sense of the emotional and personal dimensions of a performer whose image was both celebrated and used for commercial gain.