Varona, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a card from Allen & Ginter's "Actors and Actresses" series, printed in the United States as advertising for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The image is a photographic portrait of a woman named Varona, likely an actress of the time. But what does it mean to have her image used to sell cigarettes? Consider the social and cultural context: this card was part of a set, and collecting them was a popular pastime. Such cards provided ordinary people with access to images of celebrities and desirable lifestyles. Tobacco companies were therefore central in the construction of fame and celebrity culture. To better understand this image, we would need to research the careers of actresses from this period, delving into playbills, newspapers, and archival photographs. Understanding the social structures of the time helps us understand the power dynamics at play in the creation and consumption of such images.