Lillis Sisters, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: This promotional print, dating back to the 1880s, features the Lillis Sisters. It was created by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to market their Duke Cigarettes. Editor: It has a strange warmth, almost like a faded memory, doesn't it? I am intrigued by how the texture of the paper stock makes it more compelling. Curator: Let’s not forget that these cigarette cards often acted as miniature portraits celebrating popular figures and, in this instance, performers. These images shaped cultural perceptions of actresses. I wonder, how did the burgeoning performance industry negotiate visibility and female agency? Editor: Right, and consider the labor involved. The cards were essentially churned out in factories to drive mass consumption. What impact did these relatively inexpensive promotional photos have on more traditional photographic portraiture? I'm also curious about the choice of subject matter to sell the product. Curator: It prompts broader questions regarding women's visibility in public life and performance. Were these depictions empowering, objectifying, or perhaps both simultaneously? The dresses they wear and the way they pose are also interesting when it comes to discussions about freedom and femininity. Editor: Agreed. And the bicycle they’re perched upon is noteworthy. I’d be fascinated to delve into the mechanics of the bikes themselves – where they were manufactured, by whom, and what innovations they incorporated. A high-wheel bicycle such as this, could represent a material shift towards leisure and recreation in the late 19th century. Curator: Absolutely. Considering the socio-economic backgrounds of those purchasing cigarettes—were the Lillis sisters' public performance aligned with or in contrast to their lives as ordinary people, particularly regarding questions of class and social mobility? Editor: Looking at the image again, the cigarette card itself becomes a conduit for examining the intersection of capitalism, leisure, and spectacle. Curator: It makes one really think about these representations and how they continue to impact women today! Editor: Indeed, it’s about so much more than just a cigarette ad. Thank you for those wonderful insights.