Marie Jansen, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This chromolithograph of Marie Jansen comes from a series made by Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, sometime in the late 19th century. It was printed using lithography, a process that relies on the mutual repulsion of grease and water. The image would have begun as a drawing, transferred to a prepared stone or metal plate. The printing surface is neither raised nor incised, but chemically treated so that the ink adheres only to the design areas. Each color required its own stone, a labor-intensive process, resulting in the image we see today. Consider that these cards were not conceived as art, but rather as promotional items, tucked into cigarette packs as a marketing gimmick. Yet, this image has acquired artistic value over time, largely because of the hand work that went into its making, now appreciated as a mark of value. This challenges our traditional distinctions between art and craft.