Fanny Gillette, from the Actresses series (N190) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small card, part of the Actresses series (N190), was created by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., purveyors of cigarettes. These cards were printed using photographic processes. Back then, the image would have started as a photograph, then been transferred to a printing plate, most likely using a photomechanical process like lithography. Consider the vast scale of this project: Kimball produced and distributed countless cards to promote their cigarettes. The image of Fanny Gillette, like others in the set, becomes a kind of collectible, designed to be traded and consumed along with the tobacco. The card reflects industrial production meeting celebrity culture; it captures a moment in which consumerism started to rely heavily on images of famous figures to move product. It’s a reminder that even the most seemingly innocuous objects can reveal a great deal about the culture and economy that produced them. So, next time you light up, think about the hidden histories embedded in everyday things!