Marie Burroughs in Swedish Costume as a Married Woman of Hardanger, from the set Actors and Actresses, First Series (N70) for Duke brand cigarettes 1888 - 1889

This chromolithograph of Marie Burroughs in Swedish costume, was produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a collectible card inserted in cigarette packs. Chromolithography was a complex printing process involving multiple stones or plates, each applying a different color to build up a complete image. Here, the process allowed for capturing the elaborate details of Burroughs’ Hardanger costume, from the filigree-like headpiece to the ornate necklace. The success of chromolithography was tied to industrial capitalism, enabling mass production of colorful images like this one, and fueling consumer culture by creating collectible series. While it democratized image production, the process also relied on a division of labor, separating the artistic design from the skilled work of the lithographer and the factory production of the cards. So, even a seemingly straightforward image like this can reveal much about the social and economic conditions of its time. It challenges us to consider the value and status we assign to different forms of making.