Ada Van Loan, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This photograph from the *Actors and Actresses* series is a cabinet card portrait of Ada Van Loan, an actress who likely performed in vaudeville. Produced by Goodwin & Company, a major manufacturer of tobacco cards in the late 19th century, the image depicts Van Loan standing with an elegant pose, demonstrating the popularity of collecting celebrity images in the late 19th century, and the role of tobacco companies in promoting these collections. This piece is currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.