Legault, Vaudeville, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is Legault, Vaudeville, a photograph made by Allen & Ginter as a promotional card for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. Printed on paper, it is an early example of mass media. Consider the industrial processes required to mass produce images like this. A whole system was needed, from the cultivation of tobacco to the artistry of portraiture to the mechanics of printing. These cards, distributed with each pack of cigarettes, were among the first widely available color images. Photography was no longer just for the wealthy, but accessible to the working classes. The card is small, but it represents the burgeoning consumer culture of the late 19th century, and its desire to connect with celebrity. Legault, a vaudeville performer, is presented as both an aspirational figure and a commodity herself. Examining such seemingly simple items as this illuminates the complex relationships between labor, consumption, and the making of images in a rapidly industrializing world. It reminds us that even the most ephemeral objects can carry significant cultural weight.