Card Number 258, Frankie Kemble, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1880s

"Card Number 258, Frankie Kemble," was printed by W. Duke, Sons & Co. in the late 19th century as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. The card is part of a series featuring actors and actresses, reflecting the increasing celebrity culture and the use of popular figures in advertising during this period. Here we see Frankie Kemble, a stage actress, in an outfit that simultaneously hints at the fashionable silhouettes of the time, as well as evokes the classic harlequin or clown. The actress is in costume; her body is available for consumption, for desire, for entertainment. These cards were included in cigarette packs, targeting a predominantly male audience. The images often reinforced prevailing beauty standards and gender roles, depicting women as objects of admiration and desire. This commercial context highlights the complex intersection of art, commerce, and gender in shaping cultural perceptions. Reflecting on this image, consider how the commodification of images of women is both of its time, and also continues to perpetuate societal issues around representation and identity today.