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

This small card, part of Allen & Ginter's series for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, features actress Mattie Cobb in a sepia-toned, full-length portrait. Cobb is depicted carrying a vessel, posed against a softly rendered backdrop that suggests a pastoral setting. Consider the formal composition: the figure is carefully centered, creating a balanced image, yet this symmetry is subtly disrupted by the diagonal line of the skirt and the curve of her arm. This use of line directs the eye through the image, complicating what at first appears a straightforward promotional portrait. The sepia tone washes the whole image, creating a nostalgic and timeless quality, even while firmly situating it within the visual culture of its time. Such promotional cards, circulated widely, highlight the intersection of art, commerce, and representation in the late 19th century. By blending idealized beauty with everyday advertising, the card blurs the boundaries between art object and marketing tool, inviting us to reflect on how images construct and convey meaning.