Lee Jarvis, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the glittering world of 1890s theater with this petite albumen photograph of actress Jarvis, part of the Actors and Actresses series (145-8). Issued 1891 by W. Duke, Sons & Co.—soon to become the American Tobacco Company—this tiny portrait (just 2 11/16 × 1 3/8 inches) was a clever marketing tool tucked into Duke Cigarette packs to entice collectors and boost sales. Actresses like Jarvis embodied the era's fascination with stage stars, their images blending celebrity allure with everyday commerce. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, were the gold standard for photography in the late 19th century, offering sharp details and rich tones ideal for mass-produced ephemera. As a collectible trading card, it captures the Gilded Age's vibrant performing arts scene, where women like Jarvis shone on stages across America. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection—a treasure trove of such printed gems—this piece highlights how tobacco giants pioneered modern celebrity endorsements, turning a puff of smoke into cultural memorabilia.

About the Artist

W. Duke, Sons & Co.|American Tobacco Company · 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...