Card Number 766, Theo, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke 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
63.350.208.145.7.179
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 1880s American pop culture with *Card Number 766, Theo, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7)*, a tiny treasure from W. Duke, Sons & Co.'s promotional campaign for Duke Cigarettes This petite albumen photograph, measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 inches, captures the poised portrait of actress Theo, one of many glamorous performers featured in the series. Issued as collectible inserts in cigarette packs these cards turned smoking into a gateway for celebrity fandom, sparking a collecting craze among enthusiasts. Produced using the albumen print process—where...
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...