Selina Delaro, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 2) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products
1887
Medium
Albumen photograph
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 3/8 × 1 1/2 in. (6 × 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
63.350.202.60.32
Tags
Art Historical Context
In 1887, the pioneering tobacco company Allen & Ginter issued this petite albumen photograph as part of its Actresses and Celebrities seriesN60, Type 2), tucked into packs of Little Beauties Cig. Featuring stage actress Selina Delaro, card captures her poised elegance in a format designed collectors—measuring just 2 3/8 × 1 1/2 inches. These vibrant, mass-produced inserts were a clever marketing innovation, turning everyday purchases into treasures that fueled a burgeoning hobby. Albumen prints, made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts, were the gold standard for sharp, detailed...
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...