Belle Archer, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes
ca. 1888
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 5/8 x 1 1/2 in. (6.6 x 3.8 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
63.350.203.45.1453
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of 19th theater with *Belle Archer, from the Actors and Actresses seriesN45, Type 8) for Virginia Brightsarettes*, produced by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & G around 1888. This petite albumen photograph—measuring just 2⅝ × 1½ inches—captures the poised elegance of Belle Archer, a actress whose likeness graced these collectible cards inserted into cigarette packs. Allen & Ginter revolutionized marketing by transforming everyday smokes into treasure hunts for fans, sparking a craze for series like this one featuring stage stars. The albumen process, a hallma...
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...