Card 521, Marie Jansen, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 6) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a commercial card featuring Marie Jansen, part of the "Actors and Actresses" series for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, created by Allen & Ginter. The monochromatic tone imbues the image with a sense of nostalgia and a soft, almost dreamlike quality. The composition centers on a delicate portrait. The muted color palette reduces visual noise, shifting focus to the contrast between the figure and the ground. This deliberate arrangement enhances readability and creates a unified image. These cards were designed to be collected, revealing a late nineteenth-century culture that blurred lines between commerce, celebrity, and the burgeoning mass media. Here, the brand name is as prominent as the actress’s, suggesting how identity was becoming a commodity. By examining such ephemera, we gain insight into the complex interplay between consumer culture, representation, and the construction of fame in the modern age.