Flora Franks, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 2) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1887

Curator: Looking at this sweet little picture, I’m struck by how fleeting fame can be, isn’t it? She looks like she’s staring wistfully into the wings, anticipating a spotlight or a curtain call. It's tinged with sepia and melancholy! Editor: Indeed. What we see here is "Flora Franks, from the Actresses and Celebrities series" created around 1887 by Allen & Ginter. These were gelatin-silver prints included in cigarette packs, advertising tobacco products to consumers. A peculiar public-facing role, to be sure. Curator: Cigarettes! My grandmother had a stack of these celebrity portraits from tea packets; they were like little windows onto a world of glamour, a brief respite. The women featured seemed almost divine. Look at the feathery confection on her head. It’s a perfect distraction, isn't it? Editor: They functioned much like baseball cards today. The N60 series, this card is Type 2 of this set, served as miniature collectibles, boosting brand visibility while capitalizing on the actresses' appeal. They were very intentionally constructed to manufacture a demand, a need! Curator: And isn't it terribly poignant that her image, meant to hawk cigarettes, is now in the Met? This ephemeral scrap turned art object... she is permanently onstage now! There is something vaguely 'japonisme' too... that flat plane background sets off all the frills. Editor: Absolutely! These cards played a key role in shaping public perceptions of celebrity and gender roles. Mass media transformed personal identity into a tradable commodity, particularly concerning actresses and performers. Their images promoted consumerism and normalized social behaviors such as tobacco usage. It all coalesced with a nod to Japanese art's influence through composition, as you observed. Curator: She doesn't seem happy being commodified! It adds an intriguing dimension to the photograph, don’t you think? Editor: Precisely. It gives the image an added layer of resonance, and perhaps encourages us to ask a slightly darker question than one usually reserves for small trinkets... Curator: Well, it makes one realize, doesn’t it, that even these tiny tokens hold a much larger story—a history of fame, commerce, and a touch of old-world melancholia. Editor: Agreed. What a unique testament to our present’s preoccupation with celebrity.