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

"Alma Stanley" is a trade card from the "Actors and Actresses" series produced by Allen & Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. The card depicts a portrait of the actress, Alma Stanley, in a close-up view, likely taken from a larger photograph. The image captures her in a contemplative pose, wearing a hat with a long tassel. This series of trade cards, produced between 1885 and 1891, were widely distributed as advertising for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, showcasing the popular actors and actresses of the time. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, NY, houses this small, yet significant artifact of 19th-century American advertising and theatrical culture.