Card Number 114, Frabert, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

This is Card Number 114, Frabert, from the Actors and Actresses series, produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as a promotional item for Cross Cut Cigarettes. Printed on a small card, the actress Frabert strikes a pose. What does it mean to be an actor, an actress? In this image Frabert’s identity becomes a commodity, a tool used to sell cigarettes at the turn of the century. Tobacco cards were enormously popular and reveal a lot about the cultural values of the time. They reflect a society where women's bodies were often objectified in advertising, and where the line between public and private personas was often blurred for performers. It is important to note that these cards also circulated in a time of rigid class and gender structures. Images like these both reinforced and, in some instances, subverted norms around beauty, celebrity, and desire. They prompt us to reflect on the historical gaze and its impact on the individuals who were both celebrated and scrutinized.