Card 559, Marie St. John, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: So, this is "Card 559, Marie St. John" from the Actors and Actresses series. It’s a small, delicate print, dating from somewhere between 1885 and 1891 and part of a cigarette card series. The soft sepia tone gives it such an antique, almost dreamlike quality. What strikes you most when you look at this piece? Curator: What catches my eye is the ephemeral nature of it all. This isn't just a portrait, but a fleeting glimpse into a specific moment, immortalized for the sake of selling cigarettes! It whispers stories of a bygone era when celebrity endorsements came in tiny cardboard rectangles. I wonder what Marie St. John thought of being a face attached to Virginia Brights? Do you think she ever even saw the final card? Editor: That’s a thought I hadn’t considered – her own relationship to the image. Curator: Exactly! And look at the details - the intricate lace framing her face. The softness in her eyes. It speaks of a curated performance, a characterization even within a simple photograph meant to be disposable. Were these kinds of trading cards a precursor to our modern obsession with influencer culture? What layers do you suppose lie beneath? Editor: It's interesting how something created as an advertisement can now be seen as a historical and cultural artifact. I’ll certainly think about trading cards in a completely new light. Thanks! Curator: The pleasure's all mine. Art invites us to wander beyond the surface, no? Never forget to let your curiosity be your guide!