Miss De Lorme, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This photograph of Miss De Lorme, part of the Actresses series, was produced by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. Made on paper using photographic processes, this card was one of many inserted into cigarette packs. This was a cheap, mass-produced form of advertising, capitalizing on celebrity culture and consumerism. The image itself shows an actress, likely posed in a studio, surrounded by exotic plants, a deliberate construction. The sepia tone, typical of early photography, gives the image a nostalgic feel, yet it was thoroughly modern at the time, as photographs could be reproduced endlessly. The card is small and light, an ephemeral object, yet also an artifact of a booming industrial era. Looking at this card, we see not just a pretty picture but also the workings of a complex system of production, labor, and consumption, blurring the lines between art, commerce, and everyday life.