Amy Daniels, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: Here we have an albumen print from around 1885-1891, "Amy Daniels, from the Actors and Actresses series," created by Allen & Ginter as a promotional card. It’s intriguing how an image meant for advertisement can become art. What's your take on this piece? Curator: This image isn’t simply a portrait, but a signifier of intertwined social narratives. This image and its distribution demonstrate the commodification of femininity and celebrity in the late 19th century. The rise of mass media allowed women, like Amy Daniels, to gain a level of public visibility that, for some, represented emancipation but, more often than not, bound them tighter into patriarchal capitalist structures. How does seeing it framed in that light change your perspective? Editor: I guess it shows how these small cards were part of a larger system, shaping how women were seen. I never really thought about the impact a tiny card could have. The advertisement aspect almost feels like it challenges the notion of art being purely aesthetic. Curator: Precisely. Allen & Ginter, by placing her image on a cigarette card, implicates Amy Daniels in the act of promoting tobacco, at a time when its impact was not as known as it is today. Do you see that relationship between subject and product as a form of exploitation? And to what extent does its presence in a museum normalize that relationship? Editor: Definitely, especially when we know the later health impacts of cigarettes. Showing this image today, without context, could almost sanitize its history. I now wonder, shouldn't art also spark reflection on ethical and moral considerations? Curator: Absolutely. It’s not just about aesthetics, but the ethics embedded within the art object and its historical trajectory. By engaging with works like this, we can foster a deeper understanding of how art is intertwined with the socio-political fabric of its time and how it continues to resonate today.