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

This small card is from a series of collectible cigarette cards, featuring Mollie Ray, an actress, made by Allen and Ginter. These cards, which gained popularity in the late 19th century, reflect a burgeoning consumer culture and the evolving role of women in public life. Mollie Ray is depicted in a playful sailor suit, a costume that blurs traditional gender lines, which feels radical for the time. Yet this image also reveals underlying tensions around female visibility and commodification, as Mollie Ray’s image is used to sell cigarettes, linking her identity to consumption and desire. As a performer, she was subject to the male gaze of the audience. The card plays on this dynamic by using her image to entice consumers. This image captures a moment of cultural change, revealing the complex ways in which women navigated newfound opportunities and ongoing constraints. It invites us to consider the emotional and personal dimensions of visibility, and the ways in which identity can be both asserted and exploited in the public sphere.