Pauline Train, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

Editor: This lovely sepia photograph, "Pauline Train, from the Actresses series," made by Kinney Brothers around 1890, has a really intriguing and almost melancholic mood. The soft focus makes it feel like a distant memory. What's your take on it? Curator: Oh, this image whispers tales, doesn't it? For me, it's more than just a pretty face preserved on albumen-print; it's a peek into a bygone era, a meditation on fame and fleeting beauty. Did you notice the context? Kinney Brothers weren't artists, but a tobacco company! Editor: Wow, so this was essentially advertising? Curator: Exactly! Actresses, athletes, all became emblems, fleeting fantasies packaged with cigarettes. Imagine, Pauline, eternally young on these cards…while the real world kept spinning, kept aging. There is a poignant tension between immortality and mortality! Editor: I see what you mean! There is this really dreamlike quality, but also…sort of sad to think it was for commercial purposes. It feels a bit…exploitative, in a way. Curator: That duality is what makes it compelling, I think. Isn’t it curious how commerce and art so often find themselves tangled up in this dance? Editor: Definitely something to consider… Makes you wonder about celebrity culture, both then and now. Curator: Exactly! Looking at it now, after so many years, you might argue we aren’t so far removed from these ways, are we? This simple image opened up avenues to think and reflect!