Card 633, Irene Verona, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 7) for Dixie Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a cigarette card, made by Allen & Ginter, featuring Irene Verona from the "Actors and Actresses" series. The sepia tone flattens the image, creating a visual hierarchy. The figure of Verona is the central form; she is placed against a soft backdrop, with a large rope to the right. The eye is immediately drawn to the figure, whose contours are softened by the monochromatic palette. Her pose, with a hand on her hip, introduces a dynamic diagonal line that counters the rigid verticality of the card itself. The composition plays with notions of femininity and spectacle. Verona is presented as both an individual and an object of mass consumption. This tension is evident in the way her body is framed and softened, alluding to the commodification of beauty and identity. While ostensibly a promotional item, the card functions as a cultural artifact, reflecting societal attitudes towards performers and representation, capturing a moment in time where art, commerce, and identity converge, inviting us to consider how we construct and consume images of ourselves and others.