Plate 19, from the Fans of the Period series (N7) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

This small card was printed by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette manufacturer based in Richmond, Virginia. Part of a series called “Fans of the Period,” it depicts a woman holding an ornate fan. The card itself, mass-produced using industrial printing techniques, contrasts sharply with the image it portrays. The fan, hat, and dress all suggest a world of handmade luxury, even leisure. The fan itself implies a kind of courtship, a language of subtle gestures in a social dance. But consider the context: this card was included in a package of cigarettes, a newly industrialized product marketed to a mass audience. So the card becomes a token of aspiration, a fleeting suggestion of refinement available for the price of a smoke. It’s a reminder that even the most mass-produced objects can carry complex cultural meanings, subtly reinforcing social hierarchies through the careful deployment of imagery.