Card Number 19, cut-out from banner advertising the Opera Gloves series (G29) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1885 - 1895

This small, vibrant card was mass-produced by Allen & Ginter as an advertisement for their cigarettes, part of a series highlighting opera gloves. The chromolithographic process allowed for a vibrant range of colours to be printed, creating an immediate visual impact for consumers. Note how the image plays with scale, presenting a miniature portrait held delicately by a gloved hand. The glove itself is rendered with a stippled texture, giving it a tactile quality, while the portrait within is smooth and idealized. This juxtaposition speaks to the dual nature of advertising: the tangible product versus the aspirational lifestyle it represents. The amount of labor involved in both the growing of tobacco and printing processes is immense, yet all this work is compressed into a token, given away to promote even greater consumption. By looking closely at the materials and making of this card, we can understand the complex relationship between commerce, craft, and representation in the late 19th century.