Mlle. Jaco, 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 1890s theater with *Mlle. Jaco*, a captivating portrait from the Actors and Actresses series (145-8), issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to their Duke Cigarettes. Produced around 1891, this tiny albumen photograph—measuring just 2 /16 × 1 3/8 inches—was one of many collectible cards tucked into cigarette packs, transforming everyday smoking into a hobby for enthusiasts. Mlle. Jaco, a poised actress, embodies the era's fascination with stage stars, her image a window into the burgeoning celebrity culture of vaudeville and burlesque. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, delivered the sharp details and warm tones that made photography accessible and affordable in the late 19th century. As ephemera—disposable yet cherished—these cards highlight innovative tobacco marketing by James Buchanan Duke, whose company pioneered mass-produced cigarettes and trading card sets, boosting sales while fueling a collecting craze. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, *Mlle. Jaco* reminds us how commerce intertwined with culture, glamorizing performers like her to allure a male audience. A small artifact with big stories, it captures the allure of Gilded Age entertainment.

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...