Card Number 590, Sadie Martinot, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-3) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is a card from the Actors and Actresses series, issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the late 19th century to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes. The image presents actress Sadie Martinot in a pose reminiscent of classical sculpture, set against a muted background, a visual code intended to elevate both the actress and the product through association with high culture. Created in the United States during the Gilded Age, this card reflects the era's fascination with celebrity and the burgeoning advertising industry. Tobacco companies frequently used collectible cards to boost sales. The institutional history here reveals much about the commodification of art and culture, where even performing arts were leveraged for commercial gain. This piece prompts questions about the public role of art in a rapidly industrializing society and the subtle ways commercial interests infiltrated cultural institutions. Understanding this card requires a dive into advertising history, the social dynamics of the late 19th century, and the institutional practices of the tobacco industry. Only through this can we understand how art is contingent on its social context.