Card Number 171, Lizzie McCall, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes 1880s

This small card from around 1900, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co., features actress Lizzie McCall as a promotional item for Cameo Cigarettes. The image encapsulates several social dynamics of its time. The late 19th century saw the rise of celebrity culture, fuelled by mass media and advertising. Actresses like McCall, adorned in theatrical attire, became marketable commodities. At the same time, tobacco companies were aggressively marketing cigarettes, associating them with glamour and sophistication. This card reflects the convergence of these trends, blurring the lines between entertainment, advertising, and consumption. It is a carefully posed photograph intended for mass production and distribution. To fully understand this image, we can look into the history of advertising, the rise of celebrity culture, and the social history of tobacco use. Only then can we begin to understand the complex web of cultural and economic forces at play.