Card 720, Miss Carroll, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This card was made by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It's a small paper print, a type of promotional item included in cigarette packs. The image of Miss Carroll, an actress, was reproduced using a photographic process, likely photogravure or a similar technique that allowed for mass production. The texture of the card is smooth, almost like thin cardboard, showing the print quality of the time. The sepia tone gives it a vintage feel. What’s interesting is how this card blurs the lines between art, advertising, and popular culture. It's part of a series, suggesting a collectibility, a concept closely tied to consumerism. These cards were essentially miniature billboards, using celebrity appeal to sell cigarettes. It highlights the industrialization of image-making and its role in shaping desires and habits, reminding us that even seemingly innocuous items can be deeply embedded in the systems of labor and consumption.