Katie Uhart, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This small card featuring Katie Uhart, from the Actors and Actresses series, was produced by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. These cards were among a series of promotional items included in cigarette packs during the late 19th century in the United States. The images promoted both the commodity, and the fame of its subject. The rise of mass media like newspapers and magazines created a celebrity culture that advertisers were quick to exploit. Cigarette cards offered consumers an accessible way to collect images of their favorite personalities. The cards also reveal a hierarchy of labor and leisure. They link the working actress, to the leisure activity of smoking, implicitly enjoyed by those with the disposable income to spend on tobacco. To understand these cards fully, we need to look into the advertising strategies of the time, the biographies of the featured actors, and the social history of smoking. All of these resources help us to appreciate how popular culture reflects the values and aspirations of its time.