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

This tiny photographic print of Loie Fuller was made by Allen and Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, most likely in the late 1890s. It was a time when the rise of mass media created a celebrity culture that was ripe for exploitation. Here, Fuller, an American dancer, is shown in an ambiguous costume, perhaps a nod to the ‘bloomers’ associated with first-wave feminism. She stands alongside a pug. The stagey backdrop and awkward pose speak to the commercial imperatives of mass-produced advertising. The goal was to sell cigarettes by associating them with the glamour of the stage. Tobacco cards like this were collected and traded, forming an archive of popular culture. These objects offer a unique perspective on the social conditions that shaped artistic production and can be researched through the archives of advertising companies and libraries. They reveal how institutions shaped the reception of art and its public role.