Mlle. Lafleur, Paris, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a "trade card" from the Actors and Actresses series produced by Allen & Ginter, a tobacco company, between 1885 and 1891. The cards were given out with packages of Virginia Brights Cigarettes, featuring portraits of well-known performers of the time. This particular card depicts Mlle. Lafleur, a Parisian actress, with a suggestive pose and attire, reflecting the typical themes of the series and the era's fascination with theatrical personalities. The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses this small but significant piece of 19th-century American advertising and cultural history.