Card 693, Lulu Lateen, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a trade card of Lulu Lateen, an actress, produced by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The card, likely made using a photomechanical printing process, is small, and sepia-toned, typical of the late 19th century. These cards were not conceived as high art, but rather as promotional items, designed to be collected and traded. The material itself, thin card stock, speaks to the ephemerality of popular culture. It also reminds us of the labor involved in mass production. Each card was one of many, churned out to entice consumers to buy more cigarettes. While the image presents Lateen as a celebrity, the card's true purpose was commercial. Looking closely, we might ask: what other kinds of value does this small card hold? Its appeal lies in the world it evokes – a world of theatre, celebrity, and mass consumerism. It challenges us to look beyond the surface and consider the complex relationships between art, commerce, and labor that shape our visual world.