Card Number 334, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Well, this piece is quite intriguing! This is card number 334, part of the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1). It was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the 1880s as a promotional item for their Cross Cut Cigarettes. Editor: My first thought? The soft sepia tones give it a wistful, old-world feel. And it is rather intimate given its original intention. Curator: Indeed! As a trade card, its value isn't necessarily in aesthetic refinement but more so in the materials employed and the means of production during the period. Mass-produced through photolithography I expect, it served to associate smoking with glamour. Editor: Exactly! It’s fascinating how this image, likely capturing a stage performer, was used to circulate particular ideals of beauty and aspiration. Think about the reach of these cards - distributed widely with tobacco purchases. Curator: And look closely at the texture – a thin card, easily handled, carried around, and eventually discarded. It shows how ephemeral these images were intended to be despite carrying what we consider art now. The nude elements must have added another layer to its marketability back then! Editor: Absolutely! Considering that this imagery was disseminated through capitalist systems—tobacco companies promoting addictive substances, for example—it brings a starkly different perspective. It speaks volumes about how consumer culture co-opts imagery for market advantage. The politics of such readily available pictures can’t be overlooked. Curator: From a production standpoint, I wonder what kind of paper was used and the inks available for mass printmaking at this time. That’s very central to its existence as it transcends being “art”. Editor: Perhaps it's most resonant, then, as an artifact showcasing the confluence of commercial interests and emerging mass media. These cigarette cards become mini-portals into late 19th century cultural attitudes. Curator: True, investigating materials and their social context sheds light on an object that often risks being purely aestheticised now. Editor: I agree; it underscores that visual culture is intertwined with historical structures and societal forces that propel it. Curator: A fascinating little print! It invites consideration of the economics, the manufacturing and the culture surrounding it all at once. Editor: Absolutely, by interrogating that visual, we expand into deeper examinations of that era and even our present moment.