Mollie Fuller, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 2, issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sporting Extra Cigarettes 1888 - 1892

Editor: This is a print entitled "Mollie Fuller, from the Actresses series," made between 1888 and 1892 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's a small sepia-toned photograph of a young woman, and I'm immediately struck by the intimacy of it, despite its commercial purpose. What reads into the symbols for you? Curator: This image, though seemingly simple, speaks volumes about the construction of femininity and celebrity in the late 19th century. Think about it: an actress, Mollie Fuller, captured and reproduced to promote cigarettes. Her image becomes a symbol of allure, associating the pleasure of smoking with the perceived glamour and accessibility of the stage. Consider her attire: what might the bonnet suggest? Editor: Perhaps innocence, or a kind of domesticity juxtaposed with her profession? It's a bit contradictory. Curator: Precisely. It's about packaging desire, hinting at familiarity while maintaining a distance of celebrity. What's the psychological effect of owning such a picture? The viewer gets the sense that he could be "closer" to the subject through possessing the portrait of this beautiful and famous person, creating not only brand loyalty but a unique sort of cultural exchange and aspiration. These images acted as currency, creating aspirational value but who has the capital? The photograph makes this once distant subject "easier" to connect with, literally by possessing the image. The viewer feels a part of something bigger. What social strata did such exchange produce? Editor: That’s fascinating. So, the photograph functions as a kind of token, embodying social aspirations and gender roles all at once? Thank you; I am going to see what others works I can find by this company. Curator: My pleasure! There are clues in her gesture and attire; a powerful tool to explore the cultural history.