Marie Jansen, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Gypsy Queen Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This is an advertising card made by Goodwin & Company in the late 19th century, as part of a series called "Actors and Actresses" for Gypsy Queen Cigarettes. These cards were a marketing strategy, capitalizing on the popularity of theater and its stars. In an era before mass media, these cards offered a glimpse into the glamorous world of entertainment, fostering a connection between consumers and performers like Marie Jansen. But this connection was, of course, manufactured by commercial interests. The cards simultaneously promoted both a lifestyle and a product. To understand this image, we need to look at the cultural and economic landscape of the time, where advertising was burgeoning and the cult of celebrity was on the rise. By looking at business records, and the theater reviews of the day, we can learn much more about the construction of fame and the ways that public life was changing. The meaning of such artworks is contingent on social and institutional context.