Kate Uart, Corsair Co., from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This photographic print of Kate Uart was made by Allen & Ginter as a promotional insert for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The image is a product of industrial processes: photography, printing, and mass marketing. The card is made from paper, a cheap and widely available material. The photographic print process involved a series of chemical reactions to transfer the image onto the paper. The text was added using printing techniques, possibly lithography or letterpress, to give the brand optimal visibility. The photograph serves the purpose of advertisement, capitalizing on the celebrity of Kate Uart to promote tobacco consumption. This was a strategy to associate the brand with glamour, fame, and the theatrical world. This card is a reminder of how art, in many forms, serves commercial interests, and raises the question of the relationship between art, industry, and consumerism.