Card 292, Agnes Folsen, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 7) for Dixie Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a trade card of Agnes Folsen, an actress, created by Allen & Ginter for Dixie Cigarettes. It is a small rectangular piece of card, printed with a sepia-toned photograph. The material itself is crucial here. In the late 19th century, the mass production of such cards was a direct result of industrial advances in printing. Photography, combined with new techniques for reproducing images on paper, allowed companies to create these collectibles at a low cost. The image has a soft, almost dreamy quality. This was achieved through the photographic process, which involved carefully controlled chemical reactions on light-sensitive paper. The card served as a promotional tool, inserted into cigarette packs to encourage brand loyalty. Think about the contrast between the glamorous image and the associations of smoking. The card signifies the relationship between art, commerce, and popular culture in a rapidly industrializing society. The amount of labor involved in the whole chain of production is quite staggering. In the end, what we have here is a simple, and highly charged, piece of paper.