Sadie Martinot, from World's Beauties, Series 2 (N27) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

This lithograph of Sadie Martinot comes to us from Allen & Ginter Cigarettes. The image is printed on thin paper stock, made by industrial processes designed for mass production. The print has a soft, diffused quality to it. Look closely, and you can see the small, repeated dots of ink, a telltale sign of the printing technique. The paper support also has a texture. It is all about speed, economy, and repeatability. These cards were never intended to be precious objects; they were ephemera, disposable premiums included with tobacco products. What’s interesting is to consider how this image participates in the wider world of aesthetics. It appropriates the conventions of fine portraiture – consider the gentle lighting and idealized features of Martinot. Yet, this is not fine art, but advertising, cleverly leveraging the power of celebrity to move product. The image is meant to be traded, collected, and ultimately, discarded, a reflection of consumer culture and a world of labor.