Emily Bancker, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This photographic print of Emily Bancker was produced by Allen & Ginter as part of a series of promotional cards for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. These cards were made using industrial printing techniques. The photographic image would have been captured on a glass plate negative, then transferred to paper using a photomechanical process, enabling mass production. It's a far cry from the darkroom! The sepia tone results from the chemical development of the print, and it speaks to the aesthetics of the late 19th century. These cards were essentially miniature billboards, leveraging celebrity to sell tobacco. The actresses and actors featured, like Emily Bancker, became closely linked with the brand. But consider the labor involved: from the photographers and printers, to the factory workers producing the cigarettes, this card embodies the intersection of entertainment, advertising, and industrial capitalism. The next time you light up, consider the complex web of production and consumption that connects us to objects, blurring the lines between commerce and culture.