Mrs. McKee Rankin in Mountaineer's Costume of Savoy, France, from the set Actors and Actresses, First Series (N70) for Duke brand cigarettes

Editor: This small print, "Mrs. McKee Rankin in Mountaineer's Costume of Savoy, France," made around 1888 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., is surprisingly detailed considering its size. I'm immediately drawn to the intricate costume – that hat is quite something! What strikes you about this portrait? Curator: What’s fascinating is how seemingly innocuous images like these offer glimpses into the socio-political currents of their time. This was a cigarette card, a form of advertising, inserted into packs of cigarettes. Think about that: it was mass-produced imagery distributed widely. Editor: Right, meant to catch your eye. Curator: Exactly! So, what's being presented here? An actress, dressed in "authentic" regional costume, packaged alongside a product promising leisure and status. This appeals to a sense of exoticism and perhaps a yearning for connection to European cultural traditions. Ask yourself, what did it mean to the consumer seeing it? What did this imagery say about the values Duke cigarettes promoted to a broader audience? Editor: So, it’s less about Mrs. Rankin herself and more about what she represents in this context? Curator: Precisely. These cards were very popular, creating a sort of proto-celebrity culture while simultaneously reinforcing certain societal ideals and desires. Think about how this image functions within the history of advertising and the projection of identity. Editor: It’s like a little window into a different world. I never considered how much social context could be packed into something so small. Curator: Exactly, seeing these cards reminds us that images are rarely, if ever, neutral. They always circulate within complex networks of power, desire, and exchange.