Plate 45, from the Fans of the Period series (N7) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes Brands 1889

Plate 45, from the Fans of the Period series, was made by Allen & Ginter for their Cigarettes Brands. It’s a chromolithograph, a color printing technique that was revolutionary in its day. Looking closely, you can see how this process allowed for the creation of vibrant colors, crucial for catching the eye in a competitive market. Each color required a separate stone or plate, demanding skill and precision. The image itself depicts a fashionable woman holding a fan, an item laden with social significance and itself often a product of skilled craftsmanship. But here, it becomes a mere prop, a means to sell cigarettes. Consider the contrast: the delicate, hand-held object versus the mass-produced, addictive product. The card reduces both the woman and her fan to objects of consumption. This little card speaks volumes about the burgeoning consumer culture of the time, where art, craft, and even human image were all fair game in the pursuit of profit. It reminds us to look closely at the materials and methods behind even the smallest objects, and to consider their place within the larger economic and social landscape.