From the Girls and Children series (N58) promoting Our Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1887

This small printed card promoting Allen & Ginter cigarettes, dating to the late 19th century, exemplifies the era's embrace of chromolithography, a technique using multiple stones to transfer images onto paper. The flat, graphic style and vibrant colors were achieved through careful layering, a labor-intensive process of registration, aligning each color perfectly. The card’s surface displays the image of a child at play, and is promoting tobacco products. The choice of subject matter and printing process were carefully considered to appeal to a broad consumer base. The mass production of such cards reflects the rise of industrial capitalism, where advancements in printing technology enabled companies to create visually appealing advertisements at scale. These cards were not just promotional items, but also collectible objects that blurred the lines between art, commerce, and everyday life. Considering this history, it's clear that understanding the material processes and social context is crucial to appreciating its full impact.