Plate 21, from the Fans of the Period series (N7) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

This lithograph was made by Allen & Ginter, a Richmond, Virginia cigarette manufacturer, as an advertising insert. It’s printed on a small piece of card, an inexpensive, mass-produced material designed for wide distribution. The image depicts an elegant woman with a fan, a symbol of luxury and refinement. But the card itself tells a different story, one of mass production and consumption. Lithography allowed for the quick reproduction of images, turning art into an affordable and disposable commodity. Consider the layers of labor involved: from the artists who designed the image, to the factory workers who printed and packaged the cards, to the tobacco farmers who grew the raw material for the cigarettes. This card is a testament to the industrialization of art and the rise of consumer culture, a far cry from the hand-painted portraits of the past. By looking at the material and its context, we see how this seemingly simple image is deeply intertwined with the social and economic forces of its time. It reminds us that art is not just about aesthetics, but also about the world in which it’s made and consumed.