Mlle. Sorel, 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
63.350.203.45.1518
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the glittering world of 19th-century theater with *Mlle. Sorel, from the Actors and Act series (N45, 8)*, issued by the pioneering tobacco firm Allen & G around 1888. This petite albumen photograph captures the elegance of the French actress Mlle.orel, one of many celebrities featured in these collectible cards tucked into Virginia Brights cigarette packs. At just 2⅝ × 1½ inches, it was designed for pocket-sized fascination, fueling the era's booming hobby of trading cards among enthusiasts of all ages. Allen & Ginter revolutionized marketing by pairing tobacco with visual allure, t...
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...