Card Number 243, Lester, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: Let’s spend some time examining “Card Number 243, Lester, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-1) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes,” a photograph dating to the 1880s. Editor: Gosh, isn't this a trip down memory lane? There's something so utterly charming and almost innocent about it. The theatrical garb juxtaposed against what appears to be a painted backdrop screams ‘old-school glamour' but with a slightly off-kilter wink. Curator: Indeed. These cards, often inserted into cigarette packs, offer a fascinating window into the late 19th century's burgeoning celebrity culture. The commodification of artistry is something we still grapple with today. Editor: It’s that “Lester” herself—or himself, given the clothing? —I am absolutely obsessed with. There’s this delightful, almost playful androgyny to the portrayal. Was it pushing boundaries? Totally subversive? Maybe, or maybe they just liked clothes? I would be happy with both answers! Curator: Gender ambiguity in performance was certainly present at the time, offering both subversive possibilities and the reinforcement of patriarchal structures through caricature. The key here is always interrogating that tension and how performance mediates identity, then as now. Editor: All those layers—corset, bloomers, cap— I mean, imagine! But honestly, looking at Lester’s coy pose and sideways glance, there’s a quiet rebellion there. It also kinda breaks my heart. What did becoming collectible mean back then? What pressures did that place on artists? Curator: The production of these cards raises ethical considerations concerning the commercial exploitation of artistic labor and the representation of gender within the constraints of consumer culture. Editor: True that! This little photograph manages to feel surprisingly… current. Thanks for taking this detour with me! Curator: Likewise, it provides avenues to think through labor, celebrity, gender, and the gaze, so the pleasure was all mine!