Card 1068, Ruth Stetson, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a photograph of Ruth Stetson, one of a series of actors and actresses, produced by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes in the late nineteenth century. These cards were essentially advertisements, connecting popular performers with a specific brand of tobacco. In that era of burgeoning mass media, such cards served as a vital link between the stage and the public. But this card also demonstrates how the culture and institutions of entertainment were changing. We can see Stetson’s costume and pose as a reflection of the evolving roles of women in entertainment, pushing the boundaries of social norms, even as they were consumed and commodified by the tobacco industry. To understand this image fully, we can delve into the history of popular culture and advertising, examining theatre archives, periodicals, and business records to illuminate the networks of commerce, celebrity, and social change. The meaning of art changes, depending on the social context in which it is viewed.