Actress in profile, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This small card, part of the Actresses series, was produced by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. to be included in cigarette packs. The image is a photograph, a relatively new technology at the time, printed on paper. The rise of photography was closely linked to the rise of mass production and consumer culture. This card, like many others of its kind, was not intended to be a work of art but a promotional item, designed to entice consumers to purchase cigarettes. Yet, its existence tells us a lot about the culture of the time: the fascination with actresses, the power of celebrity, and the growing importance of advertising. Consider the labor involved in producing these cards – from the photographers who took the portraits to the factory workers who printed and packaged them. This mass production transformed not only the way images were made but also the way they were consumed, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and everyday life. It prompts us to reflect on the amount of work that went into its production, challenging any easy distinction between the high art of portraiture and the everyday world of commercial images.