Actress in profile wearing feathered cap, from the Actresses series (N664) promoting Old Fashion Fine Cut Tobacco
Unknown Artist
1888–90
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 3/8 in. × 2 in. (8.5 × 5.1 cm)
Classification
Photographs|Ephemera
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick
Accession Number
Burdick 230, N664.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, small albumen photographs like *Actress in profile wearing fe cap* from the Actresses series (N664) served as colorful trade cards, promoting brands such as Old Fashion Fine Cut Tobacco. between 1888 and1890, this tiny 3⅜ × 2-inch image captures a glamorous actress in elegant profile, her feathered cap adding a touch of theatrical flair. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, were prized for their sharp detail and warm sepia tones, making them ideal for mass-produced ephemera that consumers collected and traded like modern trading card...