Card 409, Jennie Bernhardt, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Allen & Ginter’s “Card 409, Jennie Bernhardt,” is a late 19th-century trade card made for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. Its sepia tone lends the image a nostalgic aura, while the actress’s ornate attire hints at the opulence of the Gilded Age. The actress is positioned as a study in contrasts. The curves of her fan are juxtaposed with the sharp angles of her plaid jacket. Note how the vertical text of the brand name reinforces the vertical lines of the skirt, drawing the viewer's eye to the product being advertised. This interplay of shape and text creates a visual tension, reflective of the cultural codes of beauty and commerce at play. The card challenges the traditional notions of portraiture and advertising. It suggests that meaning is not fixed but rather emerges from the complex interplay of visual and textual elements, forever open to re-interpretation within our shifting cultural landscape.