Miss Viden, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: We are looking at “Miss Viden, from the Actresses series,” created in 1889 by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. It’s a small print, a portrait. The actress has a dreamy air, holding a drum in a rather jaunty outfit. What leaps out at you when you see it? Curator: Oh, it’s a curious little thing, isn't it? To me, it whispers of backstage magic and manufactured fantasy. She's not quite in character, nor entirely herself – she’s suspended between realities, caught in the liminal space between the stage and the cigarette card. Do you see the artifice in her stance? Editor: Definitely. The backdrop looks so generic, and the outfit seems almost theatrical. Is there a tension here between reality and performance? Curator: Exactly! Kimball and Company were essentially selling a carefully constructed dream. The "actress" becomes a commodity, a collectible, simultaneously elevated and objectified. And that costume… does it strike you as historically accurate or purely theatrical? Perhaps they just tossed together a ‘historical’ mishmash from central casting! Editor: Good point! It seems less about historical accuracy, more about creating a visually striking image that would sell cigarettes. Curator: It all boils down to illusion. These cards offered people a miniature world of glamour they could hold in their hands. So much fantasy wrapped up in something so small, it almost tickles! What do you make of that faraway look in her eyes? Editor: Maybe she’s lost in thought, picturing the play’s narrative or just…bored. It’s interesting how such a mass-produced object can still invite speculation. Curator: Precisely. Even though designed as mere advertisement, these cards are a portal into a fascinating sliver of cultural history and human dreams. See, now we are creating new narratives for poor Miss Viden, a double trick!