Wilson Barrett, 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
63.350.203.45.1455
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of 19th celebrity culture with this petite albumen photograph of actor Wilson Barrett, part of Allen & Ginter's Actors and Actresses series (45, Type 8). Produced around 1888 to accompany Virginia Brights Cig, these cards were savvy marketing tools—collectible inserts that turned smoking into a hobby for enthusiasts. Barrett, a prominent figure in Victorian theater, stares confidently from this 2 5/8 x 1 ½-inch card, capturing the era's fascination with stage stars. Allen & Ginter, pioneering American tobacco innovators, revolutionized ephemera by issuing themed se...
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...