Mlle. Zampa, Paris, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes

Art Historical Context

Step into the glittering world of late 19th-century theater withMlle. Zampa, Paris*, a captivating albumen photograph from Goodwin & Company's *Actors and Actresses* (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes. Produced 1886 and 1890, this petite card—measuring just 2 11/16 x 1 3/8 inches—features a poised portrait of the Parisian actress Mlle. Zampa, capturing her elegance and star power in a format designed for collectors. Cigarette cards like this one were wildly popular ephemera, tucked into Old Judge cigarette packs as promotional inserts to boost sales and spark collecting frenzies. Goodwin & Company, a leading tobacco firm, commissioned high-quality albumen prints, a pioneering wet-collodion process that coated paper with egg whites and silver salts for vivid, detailed tones—perfect for these tiny treasures. Actresses were celebrity icons, blending theater glamour with emerging mass media. Today, housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, this card highlights photography's role in advertising and popular culture. It evokes an era when stage stars like Mlle. Zampa bridged art and commerce, offering a window into the allure of French theater amid America's Gilded Age obsession with performers. A delightful snapshot of history in your hand!

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...