Emma Calif, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This small card was produced by Goodwin & Company around 1876 to be included in packs of Old Judge Cigarettes. The card, from the Actors and Actresses series, features a portrait of Emma Calif. These cards functioned as promotional material, capitalizing on the popularity of stage actors and actresses. What can this card tell us about the cultural value of celebrity at this time in the United States? How did the institutional structures of the burgeoning advertising industry intersect with the entertainment industry? These cards became highly sought after, prefiguring contemporary trading cards. In this way, art entered into commerce through institutional arrangements. The cards were collected and traded, becoming a form of currency in their own right. Understanding the history and cultural impact of artworks like this one requires research into the social and economic conditions of their production. We can study corporate archives and social histories to better understand their role in shaping consumer culture.