Card 832, Helen Jermine, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This card of Helen Jermine was produced by Allen and Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It’s one of a series of small cards, mass-produced to be included in cigarette packs. The card itself is made from thin paper stock, printed with a photographic image of the actress. The printing process, likely lithography, allowed for relatively quick reproduction, reflecting the era’s burgeoning consumer culture. Note the slight sepia tone, typical of early photographic printing. These cards speak volumes about labor, politics, and consumption. On one hand, they represent the mass production of images, feeding into a celebrity culture. On the other, they were a marketing ploy to encourage cigarette sales, playing on the desires and aspirations of consumers. The images also provide insight into the labor involved in producing entertainment, making visible the figures of actors and actresses. Considering the materiality and context of this card enriches our understanding, and challenges the conventional art historical categories, asking us to see value and meaning in the everyday, mass-produced objects of our world.