Adelaide Neilson, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 2) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1887

This is a trade card featuring a portrait of Adelaide Neilson, a famous 19th century actress, in the "Actresses and Celebrities" series of cards created by Allen & Ginter to promote their "Little Beauties" cigarettes. The card is printed in black and white, using a photo-mechanical process, and shows Neilson dressed in a costume with a sword. These collectible cards are a significant part of the history of advertising and are an important source of information about 19th-century popular culture.