Fräulein Colin, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This small card from the late 19th century, part of Allen & Ginter's "Actors and Actresses" series, was produced as a collectible insert for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. These cards existed within a burgeoning culture of mass media and celebrity, reflecting a society increasingly fascinated with public figures, particularly performers. This fascination, however, often intersected with the objectification and commodification of women. Fräulein Colin, like other actresses featured in these cards, was reduced to an image, a product to be consumed alongside cigarettes. The image itself, with its staged backdrop and carefully posed subject, speaks to the constructed nature of celebrity. It invites us to consider the gaze, both the camera's and the consumer's, and how it shapes our understanding of identity and womanhood. What narratives were being reinforced, and whose stories were being erased in this process of image-making and circulation? These cards offer a glimpse into the complex interplay of desire, representation, and the marketplace.