Alice Atherton, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes
ca. 1888
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/4 x 1 3/8 in. (7 x 3.5 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
63.350.203.45.22
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of19th-century advertising with *Alice Atherton, from the Actors and Actresses (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes*, produced by the pioneering firm Allen & Ginter around 1888. Theseutive albumen photographs—measuring just 2¾ x 1⅜ inches—were tucked into cigarette packs as collectible trade cards, a clever marketing ploy that turned smoking into a hobby for enthusiasts. Allen & Ginter's innovative series captured the glamour of theater stars, fueling a craze for celebrity portraits amid the Gilded Age's theater boom. This charming portrait features actres...
About the Artist
Allen & Ginter
Allen & Ginter, the pioneering American tobacco firm based in Richmond, Virginia, emerged around 1880 from the partnership of John F. Allen and Lewis Ginter, evolving from Allen's earlier John F. Allen & Company. Allen retired in 1882, succeeded by John Pope, yet the brand endured under Ginter's leadership, employing over 1,100 workers—mostly women—for hand-rolled cigarettes by 1886. Ginter, a Dut...