Card Number 319, Miss Fox, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1880s advertising with *Card Number 319, Fox*, a petite albumen photograph from W. Duke, Sons &.'s Actors and Act series (N145-). Issued to promote their Cut Cigarettes, this portrait—measuring just 2½ × 1⅜ inches—captures the alluring gaze of actress Miss Fox, of many theater stars featured in these collectible cards. Tobacco companies like Duke pioneered this marketing tactic, enticing smokers with glamorous images tucked inside cigarette packs, turning everyday purchases into a treasure hunt for fans. Produced using the albumen process, popular in the 19th century for its sharp detail and warm tones achieved through egg-white-coated paper sensitized with silver salts, this ephemera exemplifies early photographic reproduction. As a snapshot of Gilded Age celebrity culture, it highlights the rising fame of women in the performing arts, blending portraiture with commercial savvy. These cards fueled a collecting craze, bridging art, entertainment, and commerce. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of printed ephemera gifted by the avid collector—this card offers a window into how everyday objects immortalized icons like Miss Fox, reminding us of advertising's artistic roots.

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...