Card Number 5, cut-out from banner advertising the Opera Gloves series (G29) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1885 - 1895

This small chromolithograph was produced by Allen and Ginter, an American tobacco company, as an advertisement in the late 19th century. The image features a gloved hand holding a card depicting a woman in an elaborate pink dress and hat. These cards were collected by consumers and reflected the cultural values of the time, linking products with fashionable society and the expanding roles of women in public life. The glove itself signified status, and an elegant commodity which also mirrored the elegance of Allen and Ginter’s cigarettes. Commercial ephemera like this provide valuable insights into the social and economic landscape of the Gilded Age in America. By examining trade catalogs, advertisements, and other printed materials, historians can better understand the circulation of images, the construction of consumer desire, and the cultural meanings attached to everyday objects during this period of rapid industrialization and social change.