Card Number 64, Marion Gilmore, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-6) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This is card number 64 from the Actors and Actresses series, made by W. Duke Sons & Co. around 1900 to promote Duke Cigarettes. Cigarette cards like these were very popular in the late 19th century. Tobacco companies used them as a marketing tool. By including cards in cigarette packs, they encouraged repeat purchases, particularly among working-class men. The cards featured a wide range of subjects, including actors, athletes, and animals. The images and text would have been carefully selected to appeal to the target audience. Here, we see Marion Gilmore in theatrical costume. She was a popular stage actress at the time. The choice of actors as subjects reflects the growing popularity of theater and the rise of celebrity culture. We can imagine that, through such images, the distributors of Duke Cigarettes were trying to associate their products with sophistication. Understanding the social and institutional context of these cards requires looking at the history of advertising, tobacco consumption, and popular culture in America during this period. By examining these resources, we can gain a richer understanding of the role of art in shaping social attitudes.