Mily-Meyer, Des Bouffes, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This late nineteenth-century photograph of Mily-Meyer, of the Parisian theatre Des Bouffes, was produced by Allen & Ginter as a promotional card for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The image speaks to the rising commercial culture of the United States, where a burgeoning mass media promoted actors as celebrities and used their images to move products. Note the way the actress is presented: as a figure of spectacle. Her lavish dress, coy pose, and the theatrical backdrop all convey the sense of glamour that advertisers hoped would rub off on their cigarettes. The distribution of these cards also reflects a democratizing trend in the consumption of art. No longer were images of beauty restricted to the walls of museums or the drawing rooms of the wealthy, but instead, they became accessible to anyone who could afford a pack of cigarettes. Understanding this phenomenon requires that we look not just at the image itself, but also into archives of advertising history and the social history of consumer culture.