Sara Bernhardt, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is Sara Bernhardt, from the Actors and Actresses series, made as a cigarette card by Allen & Ginter. It's printed on a small piece of card, using photographic and printing technologies that were becoming increasingly streamlined at the time. The image itself, sepia-toned and slightly blurred, speaks volumes about the era's evolving relationship with celebrity and consumption. Bernhardt, a renowned actress, is presented here not as a figure of high art, but as a collectible item, bundled in with Virginia Brights Cigarettes. Consider the labor involved, from the cultivation of tobacco to the mechanized printing of these cards. Each step, a cog in the machine of mass production. The card transforms her image into a commodity, readily available for the price of a pack of cigarettes. This collapsing of cultural value into consumer goods is a hallmark of the late 19th century, reminding us that even art is not immune to the forces of labor, politics, and consumption.