Rose Coghlan, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 2) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1887

This is a promotional card for Allen & Ginter's Little Beauties Cigarettes, featuring actress Rose Coghlan. The sepia photograph is encased within a rigidly bordered card, creating a tight, almost claustrophobic framing. The texture of the card and the photograph itself have a granular quality. Light and shadow play across Coghlan's face, adding depth and a somewhat theatrical quality to her expression. The composition divides into distinct zones: the textured border, the portrait, and the inscription of her name. This division underscores the artwork's commercial function. The image flattens the actress into a sign, a marker of status, and desirability, to be consumed like the cigarettes it advertises. Yet, this seemingly simple construction complicates itself by becoming a sign within a sign. The effect is a layering of meaning that destabilizes the directness of advertising. Ultimately, the card functions as a complex signifier, embodying the cultural and economic forces at play during its time, prompting us to reconsider the transient nature of fame and value.