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

This card, made by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, is from a series called “Actors and Actresses.” It’s a photograph, likely mass-produced using albumen prints, a popular process at the time that used egg whites to bind the image to paper. The card is small and was included in cigarette packs as a collectible. These cards offered a glimpse into the world of celebrity, depicting figures like Nellie Standish and others, helping to promote both the stars and the cigarettes. The very material of the card connects the performance arts to the booming tobacco industry. The image itself is a carefully posed studio portrait. Standish is presented as a refined woman. Yet, the card’s existence as a mass-produced commodity shifts the perception of the image. It transforms Nellie Standish into a readily available product, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and celebrity culture. Thinking about this little card, it's clear that even something as seemingly simple as a cigarette insert can tell us a lot about the connections between art, industry, and the making of fame.