From the Actresses series (N57) promoting Our Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1890

This small card is one of many produced by Allen & Ginter to promote tobacco products. Here, "Our Little Beauties" cigarettes are advertised using a photograph of a reclining actress. In the late 19th century, the burgeoning advertising industry frequently used images of women to appeal to consumers. These images often reinforced prevailing societal expectations and gender roles. This card participates in the commodification and idealization of women, presenting the actress as a desirable, yet passive object for the male gaze. Note how the actress is posed, the angle of her body, the exposure of her legs, and her dreamy look. But these cards also offer a glimpse into the lives and careers of women who, as performers, were beginning to enter the public sphere and challenge traditional notions of femininity. They reflect the complex and often contradictory ways in which women navigated their identities within a rapidly changing society. As a promotional image that seems innocent at first glance, this card prompts us to think about the complex and intertwined issues of gender, commerce, and representation in American culture.