Card Number 154, Julia Verene, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cameo Cigarettes
1880s
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
63.350.208.145.5.145
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 1880s advertising with *Card Number 154, Verene*, a charming albumen photograph from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-5). Issued W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote theiro Cigarettes, this trading card—measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 inches—captures the poised elegance of actress Julia Verene. These collectible inserts were tucked into cigarette packs, sparking a collecting frenzy among enthusiasts and turning everyday smokers into avid hobbyists. Crafted as an albumen print, the card showcases the era's pioneering photographic technique, where a silver salt emul...
About the Artist
W. Duke, Sons & Co. · 1870–1920
**W. Duke, Sons & Co.: Pioneers of Chromolithographic Trade Card Art** W. Duke, Sons & Co., an American tobacco manufacturer, emerged from the entrepreneurial vision of Washington Duke (1820–1905) and his sons in Durham, North Carolina. After the Civil War, Washington abandoned farming in 1874 to join his eldest son, Brodie L. Duke, in the burgeoning tobacco trade, establishing a factory that for...