M'lle Noerette, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This photograph of M'lle Noerette was produced as a commercial card for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. These small cards were made using photographic processes involving skilled labor, alongside printing techniques to mass produce them. The sepia tone of the image and the stiff pose of the subject are characteristic of late 19th-century photography. The card stock itself, thin and slightly textured, speaks to its function as a mass-produced item. Allen & Ginter produced a series of these cards featuring actors and actresses, capitalizing on the popularity of celebrity culture to sell their product. The creation of these cards reflects the intersection of art, commerce, and industrial production. Photography was becoming increasingly accessible, yet the labor involved in posing, developing, and printing these images was still considerable. The cards blur the boundaries between fine art portraiture and commercial ephemera, demonstrating how artistic practices are always embedded in wider social and economic systems.