Florence Chester, 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
63.350.203.45.1458
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of 19th-century theater with this petite albumen photograph of actress Florence Chester, part of Allen & Ginter's " and Actresses series"N45, Type 8). Issued around 1888 with Virginia Brights Cigarettes this 2 5/8 x 1 1/2-inch card captures Chester in a poised portrait, embodying the era's fascination with stage stars. Tobacco companies like Allen & G revolutionized marketing by tucking these collectible cards into cigarette packs, turning smokers into avid traders and boosting sales amid growing competition. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites...
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...