Card 431, Viola Allen, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: This diminutive card packs quite a punch. Dating from sometime between 1885 and 1891, it’s from a series of actress portraits produced by Allen & Ginter to promote their Virginia Brights Cigarettes. This particular one features Viola Allen. Editor: She looks ethereal, doesn't she? The upward gaze, the almost pious folding of her hands…and then bam! Cigarettes. It’s a striking juxtaposition of purity and commerce. Curator: It's all about consumption, isn't it? These cards served as collectible inserts, meant to stiffen cigarette packs, and to entice smokers. The use of collotype printing—a photomechanical process allowed for mass production and distribution. Editor: Absolutely, and the image of Viola Allen speaks volumes about the role of women and the entertainment industry at the time. She’s posed in a way that evokes a sense of longing or inspiration, perhaps reflecting the ideals projected onto actresses. Her slightly disheveled hairstyle and simple dress feel almost revolutionary compared to traditional Victorian iconography. Curator: These cards offer a really interesting insight into labor and popular culture of the era. The women depicted became associated with brands that aimed to reach a broad audience and stimulate spending, showing how image could shape industrial processes, and product distribution. Editor: The cigarette acts as a cultural signifier here. It’s fascinating how a small, everyday item can become intertwined with broader themes of fame, aspiration, and even subversion. She isn’t smoking, but the suggestion is powerful. Curator: The image reminds us about the material means through which representations get constructed, and the commercial intent guiding artistic production. It’s a great reminder about what is invested, physically and symbolically, into popular portraiture. Editor: I agree. This card reveals unexpected complexities—an actress, a cigarette, and an industry woven together into one small image. Curator: A small artifact prompting expansive lines of inquiry, indeed.