Annie Robe, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This small card portraying Annie Robe comes from a series of actresses and society women printed in the United States around 1888, by Allen and Ginter Cigarettes. These cards were included in cigarette packs as a marketing strategy, reflecting both the burgeoning advertising industry and the widespread social changes of the late 19th century. The rise of consumer culture and mass media created new opportunities for businesses to promote their products, often by associating them with desirable images, such as these 'World's Beauties'. The carefully chosen image and idealized representation of women reinforces prevailing beauty standards and social expectations, even as women were beginning to agitate for greater social and political freedoms. What can this piece tell us about consumer culture and the commodification of beauty at the time? Only through careful research into the popular media and social trends of the time can we understand the significance of this seemingly innocuous image.