Mlle. Deanville, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes
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
63.350.208.145.8.88
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of 1890s theater with *Mlle. Deanville*, a captivating portrait from the Actors and Actresses series (145-8), produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote their Duke Cigarettes. Issued around 1891, this tiny albumen photographmeasuring just 2 /16 × 1 3/8 inches—was one of many collectible cards tucked into cigarette packs, enticing smokers with images of glamorous performers. Mlle. Deanville, likely a French actress, embodies the era's fascination with stage stars, whose fame fueled America's burgeoning celebrity culture during the Gilded Age. Crafted via the albu...
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...