Sadie Martinot, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century American theater with this petite albumen photograph of Sadie Martinot, a actress captured in the Actors and Actresses series (171) produced by Goodwin & Company between 1886 and 1890. Issued as promotional inserts for Old Judge Cig, these tiny cards—measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches—turned everyday smokers into collectors, sparking a craze for celebrity portraits that mirrored the era's booming entertainment industry and mass consumer culture. The albumen process, a hallmark of 19th-century photography, lent these ephemera their crisp deta...

About the Artist

Goodwin & Company · 1850–1950

**Goodwin & Company (ca. 1850–1950)** Goodwin & Company, originally established as E. Goodwin and Brother before the American Civil War, emerged as a prominent New York City-based tobacco manufacturer in the mid-19th century. Operating from the bustling heart of Manhattan, the firm built its reputation on popular cigarette brands such as Gypsy Queen and, most notably, Old Judge, which became syno...