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

This small card, part of the "Actresses" series, was made by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. using photographic and printing techniques for distribution with their cigarettes. The sepia-toned image, mass-produced on thin paper, captures Lisbets DeBoreff, a performer of the era, not as an individual, but as a commodity, an idealized image packaged to sell tobacco. Note the way her image has been captured through photography and printed at scale. The very quality of the photograph flattens her, rendering her more as a logo than a person. The card underscores the intersection of entertainment, advertising, and consumer culture in the late 19th century. The act of collecting these cards, each bearing a different actress, speaks to the power of capitalist forces and the commodification of labor and identity. Think of it: while cigarettes were rolled and packaged, and photographs developed and printed, all this labor went into promoting an aspirational lifestyle. Examining this card, we gain insight into the relationship between art, labor, and the social context of its time, transcending the boundary between fine art and everyday life.