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

"Adele" is a carte de visite, a type of photograph popular in the 19th century. This particular example features a woman, likely a performer, posing with a whip. This is part of the "Actors and Actresses" series, produced by Allen & Ginter, a company known for creating trading cards. The cards, like this one, often featured performers and were given away with purchases of Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses the small but powerful image, a fascinating relic of the past.