[Actress posing in thick cloak], from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes
![[Actress posing in thick cloak], from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes by American Tobacco Company|W. Duke, Sons & Co.](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/dp/thumb/actress-posing-in-thick-cloak-from-the-actors-and-650468.webp)
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 in. (6.8 × 3.5 cm)
Classification
Photographs|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
63.350.208.145.8.329
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of 1890s celebrity culture with *[Actress posing in thick]*, a petite albumen photograph from the and Actresses series (145-8), issued W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Duke Cigarettes. Produced around 1891 by the American Tobacco Company, tiny card—measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 inches—captures an unidentified actress draped dramatically in a heavy cloak, her pose evoking the theatrical allure that captivated late Victorian audiences. These cards were tucked into cigarette packs as clever marketing ploys, turning everyday smokers into collectors of stage star...
About the Artist
American Tobacco Company|W. Duke, Sons & Co.
**American Tobacco Company (1890–1911)** Founded on January 31, 1890, in Durham, North Carolina, by James Buchanan Duke, the American Tobacco Company emerged from the consolidation of five major U.S. tobacco manufacturers: W. Duke & Sons, Allen & Ginter, Goodwin & Company, W.S. Kimball & Co., and Kinney Brothers. Under Duke's aggressive leadership, it rapidly achieved monopoly status, controlling...