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

Albani, a lithograph on card stock, was produced by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, sometime in the late nineteenth century. The printing process allowed for mass production, and the cards, included in cigarette packs, popularized chromolithography which created vibrant, eye-catching images. The lithographic process involved drawing an image on a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy substance, treating the surface so that ink would adhere only to the drawn areas, and then printing it onto paper. The texture of the card stock gives the print a tactile quality, inviting a closer look at the details of Albani’s features and attire. Albani is part of a series called ‘World’s Beauties’, reflecting the culture of consumption and mass media that was emerging at the time. It blurs the lines between art, advertising, and everyday life. These cards weren’t just art objects; they were promotional tools, tied to the experience of smoking. They remind us that art is always embedded in a specific context, shaped by social and economic forces.