[Actress posing with foot on stool], from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes
![[Actress posing with foot on stool], 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-with-foot-on-stool-from-the-actors-649838.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
63.350.208.145.8.280
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century advertising *[Actress posing with foot stool]*, a charming albumen photograph from the and Actresses series (145-8). Issued 1891 by W. Duke, Sons & Co.—later the American Tobacco Company—this tiny trade card (just 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 inches) was tucked into Duke Cigarette packs to entice collectors and boost sales. Actresses like the poised figure here were celebrity icons, their glamorous portraits capturing the era's fascination with theater stars. Crafted as an albumen print, the image boasts the sharp detail and warm tones typical of this popul...
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...