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

This chromolithograph of Marie Borroughs was produced for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, printed on a small paper rectangle. This wasn't high art, but rather part of a series included in cigarette packs to boost sales. Chromolithography was a relatively new printing technique at the time, allowing for colorful and detailed images to be reproduced quickly and cheaply. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to create the final image. The result is an image that has a soft, almost painterly quality. The very nature of this image speaks to the rise of consumer culture in the late 19th century. The image of Marie Borroughs, a so-called "World's Beauty", was a collectible item, meant to entice consumers to purchase more cigarettes. The mass production of these cards also speaks to the changing nature of labor and the rise of industrial capitalism. So, the next time you see a chromolithograph, remember that you're not just looking at an image, but also at a piece of social history.