Card Number 336, Carrie Behr, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

This small card, dating from around 1900, was made by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. It’s one of many in a series of actors and actresses, printed using mass production techniques. The sepia tone speaks to the photographic process involved, capturing a posed image of Carrie Behr. The card’s texture would have been smooth, designed for easy handling and collecting. Its small size made it ideal for inclusion in cigarette packs, a clever marketing strategy. This reflects the rise of consumer culture, where even art became a promotional tool. The image itself, though seemingly simple, is loaded with social context. Behr’s theatrical costume and confident pose speak to the burgeoning entertainment industry, while the card’s distribution method reveals the intimate connection between leisure, consumption, and advertising at the turn of the century. Ultimately, this card is a reminder that art and craft are not separate spheres, but intertwined with the social and economic forces of their time.