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

This is a printed card of Mollie Powers, an actress, made by Allen and Ginter for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It’s one of a series, printed on thin card stock, a bit bigger than a postage stamp. The material itself is key here. These cards were essentially ephemera, meant to be collected by consumers who purchased cigarettes. The company made a calculated decision to include these cards as a marketing strategy, turning the mass production of goods into a game of collecting. This reflects a shift in attitudes towards consumer culture during this period. By reproducing images of actresses, athletes, and other popular figures, the cards turned celebrity into a commodity, mass producing ‘fame’ and selling it along with their tobacco. While the card itself has little intrinsic value as a piece of fine art, it’s rich in social history. It asks us to consider the relationship between labor, leisure, and the rise of consumer culture in the late 19th century.