Card 396, Modjeska, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This card, printed by Allen & Ginter of Richmond, Virginia, was a promotional insert for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It belongs to a series portraying actors and actresses. Here we see Helena Modjeska, a Polish actress who gained fame in America. The image is a photograph, likely taken in a studio, and printed on a small card. Modjeska is dressed in what appears to be classical garb, perhaps referencing one of her stage roles. The practice of using celebrity images to sell products speaks to the increasing commercialization of culture in the late 19th century United States. The industrial revolution allowed for mass production of goods and images. This card was meant to associate the glamour of the theater with a specific brand of cigarettes. Understanding the social function of these images requires us to look at the history of advertising, the rise of celebrity culture, and the changing landscape of American consumerism. Art, in this context, becomes a tool for shaping desires and promoting consumption.