Card 426, Marion Elmore, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This card of Marion Elmore, from the Actors and Actresses series, was printed by Allen and Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. These cards emerged in an era when the burgeoning tobacco industry sought novel ways to market its products. These cards existed within a broader cultural context of celebrity and performance. Actresses like Marion Elmore, often depicted in carefully staged photographs, became some of the faces that helped to sell these products. The images reflect the way women were marketed at the time, with its focus on beauty and elegance. While seemingly innocuous, these cards also highlight the connections between commerce, representation, and the construction of identity in the late 19th century. They remind us to consider how images, even those on the smallest scale, can reveal larger truths about the values and power structures of their time.