Miss Jarbeau, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This is a photograph of Miss Jarbeau, printed by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co., as part of a series of actress cards. These cards, printed on thin paper stock, were not conceived as high art, but as promotional ephemera, inserted into cigarette packs. The sepia tone gives the image a nostalgic feel, but it also speaks to the industrial processes of mass production, which took hold in the late 19th century. The image itself, while seemingly straightforward, also reflects the values of the time, particularly the commodification of female beauty and the association of actresses with tobacco consumption. Consider the labor involved in producing thousands of these cards, the printing presses churning out image after image, and the workers packaging them with cigarettes. Understanding the material context of this photograph allows us to see it not just as a portrait of an actress, but as a window into the social and economic forces that shaped its creation and consumption. It blurs the boundaries between art, advertising, and the everyday.