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

This card, featuring Annie Deacon, was printed by Allen & Ginter, for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It's a small piece of photographic print, made for mass consumption. The process begins with a photographic image, transferred to a printing plate. The textures are captured through light and shadow, revealing much about the sitter, and the mise-en-scène. The final product is then multiplied, ready to be included in cigarette packs. The card's material—thin paper—speaks volumes about its intended use. Designed as a collectible, yet disposable, this ephemeral object was meant to be traded, collected, or simply discarded, all for the sake of marketing tobacco. Consider the labor involved: from the photographer, the printing technicians, and of course, the workers in the cigarette factories themselves. This card isn't just a portrait; it's a window into the economic engine of the time, blurring the lines between celebrity, consumerism, and labor.