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

This small photographic print of Lucette Haines was made to be included in packets of Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It is a commercial product made to promote smoking, but one can also look at the way it was made, and how these processes have imbued the artwork with social significance. The photographic printing process was itself relatively new at the time, transforming portraiture from an artisanal product to one that could be industrialized and consumed en masse. These tobacco cards are associated with wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption, and were printed in vast quantities for the enjoyment of consumers. Understanding the materials, making and context emphasizes the importance of this print, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft and questioning our values of labor and modes of production.