Sadie Martinot, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This card featuring actress Sadie Martinot was produced by Allen and Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It's made of paper, which was then photographically printed with an image and text, before being cut down to size, ready for insertion into cigarette packs. The card has a sepia tone, and it is a relatively low quality mass-produced item. The photographic image has been printed onto thin card stock, transforming the photograph into a kind of collectible. The textural qualities of the paper determine the appearance of the print, affecting the sharpness and contrast of the image. The image has been printed in multiples, using mechanical reproduction as the aesthetic technique, so it's less about the image, and more about the manufacturing process. These cards speak to a culture of collecting, and how images of actresses, or baseball players, became embedded in the daily lives of consumers. They also reflect the industrialization of leisure and entertainment. They are a product of capitalist culture, mass production, and the commodification of celebrity.