Jennie Ricci, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-7) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of 1880s American advertising with this petite albumen photograph of actress Jennie Ricci, part of the *Actors and Actresses* seriesN145-7) issued by W. Duke, & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes. Measuring just 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 inches, this tiny portrait was likely one of countless collectible inserts tucked into cigarette packs, transforming everyday tobacco purchases into a thrilling hunt for celebrity images. Actresses like Ricci embodied the glamour of the Gilded Age theater scene, them perfect muses for marketers tapping into the era's obsession with stage stars. Produced using the albumen process—glass negatives coated in egg whites for sharp detail and warm sepia tones—this ephemera exemplifies commercial photography's role in mass culture. Far from fine art, these cards fueled a collecting craze, preserving fleeting moments of fame while subtly endorsing smoking. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, it hails from The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, a treasure trove of American ephemera gifted in 1948, offering a window into how commerce and celebrity intertwined to shape consumer desires. Today, Jennie Ricci's poised gaze reminds us of women's prominence in Victorian entertainment—and advertising—highlighting ephemera's power as cultural artifacts.

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...