Plate 30, from the Fans of the Period series (N7) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

Plate 30, from the Fans of the Period series for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes, presents us with more than just a pretty picture; it's a window into the cultural values of its time. These cards, distributed with cigarettes, offered glimpses into idealized versions of womanhood. This particular image showcases a fair-skinned woman, adorned with flowers and lace, holding a fan that obscures part of her face, literally and figuratively 'hiding' behind her beauty. The fan itself becomes a symbol of both status and constraint, hinting at the complex role women occupied in society: they were cherished as objects of beauty, yet confined by social expectations and gender norms. The imagery on the fan is pastoral and traditional, while women in the period fought for the right to higher education and suffrage. In its own way, this small card encapsulates the tensions between appearance and reality, between the ornamental and the actual lives of women during this era. It reminds us of the power of visual culture to shape and reflect societal ideals, even in something as ephemeral as a cigarette card.