Mlle. Helen, 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
63.350.203.45.223
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of 19th-century theater with *Mlle. Helen, from the Actors and Actresses (N45, Type 1)*, produced by the pioneering firm Allen & Ginter around 1888. This albumen photograph, measuring just 2 3/4 x 1 3/8 inches, captures the poised elegance of the actress Mlle. Helen, one of many celebrated performers featured in this popular cigarette trading card series Allen & Ginter, innovative tobacco merchants, embedded these cards in Virginia Brights cigarette packs to boost sales, turning everyday smoking into a collector's thrill and immortalizing stage stars for everyday...
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...