Belle Howorth, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This late nineteenth-century card, made by Goodwin & Company, belongs to a series of promotional images included in Gypsy Queen Cigarettes packs. This was a common marketing tactic. Using albumen print, a process invented in 1847, Goodwin created a sharp image on thin paper stock, glued to a thicker card. The decision to depict actresses wasn't random; celebrity endorsements drove sales. Here, Belle Howarth acts out a theatrical scene. What’s interesting here is how this everyday item intersects with culture. Photography, once a laborious process, was becoming increasingly industrialized. These cards, printed en masse, were a token of both artistry and commerce. So, while it is easy to dismiss them as mere ephemera, they offer a glimpse into the cultural values of a bygone era. They also demonstrate how production processes can embed social significance into even the most humble of objects.