St. Felix Sisters, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This small card, featuring the St. Felix Sisters, was produced by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes in the late 19th century. These cards, collected and traded, offer a glimpse into the cultural values and commercial strategies of the time. The image creates meaning by associating popular performers with a specific brand of cigarettes, embedding the product within a network of celebrity and aspiration. The sisters, dressed in theatrical garb, represent the entertainment industry, a burgeoning field that captivated audiences. In an era marked by industrialization and social change, popular culture, like the theater and collecting these cards, provided a means of escape. The production of such cards also reveals the close relationship between art, commerce, and leisure in the Gilded Age United States. To fully understand its significance, we can turn to archives of advertising history to uncover a richer understanding of how commercial images shape our perceptions of value, celebrity, and desire.