Mrs. President Cleveland, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Editor: This is "Mrs. President Cleveland, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes," created in 1888. It's a drawing and print. She has such rosy cheeks! It almost gives off a nostalgic feeling, like a memory. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: Oh, the ghosts of tobacco cards past! These small portraits, initially designed to stiffen cigarette packs, evolved into miniature empires of beauty and fame. Forget today's influencers; imagine *this* being your entryway to immortality! It's intriguing, isn't it, how commerce so often becomes intertwined with art, wouldn't you say? I think it really reveals how ideas around women were being spread in this time. Editor: It's like a little window into another world, really. So what was the thought behind using portraits like this in cigarette packs? Curator: Think about it – it wasn't just about selling tobacco. It was about selling aspiration, projecting a lifestyle. Imagine slipping one of these from your pack; suddenly, you were carrying a fragment of perceived societal grace. A piece of "beauty," almost, which makes this sort of "caricature" really unique for something like a cigarette package, I would have thought! Editor: I guess so! So, is that a similar strategy that companies use even now? Curator: Certainly echoes! From luxury handbags to celebrity endorsements, the core concept persists. By connecting a product to an image of success or beauty, the companies aren't just trading wares, they're selling the "feeling" of it too. Editor: I hadn't considered that! This chat's made me look at advertising in a totally new light now. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure, indeed! Who knew a cigarette card could ignite such expansive considerations, eh? There’s always something to uncover.