Mlle. Decroizee, Paris, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Curator: Well, isn’t this just charming? The piece we’re looking at is a promotional image of Mlle. Decroizee, a Parisian actress, originally featured in the “Actors and Actresses” series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes between 1886 and 1890, published by Goodwin & Company. Editor: Parisian actress peddling cigarettes? The Gilded Age was certainly colorful. There is a boldness, though. Her pose, the stylized backdrop… almost feels theatrical. Curator: Exactly! These images were immensely popular; affordable collectibles bound to cigarette packs. This promoted consumer culture and idealized public figures and their associated lifestyles. The fact that they distributed images of actors and actresses meant a democratization of art! Editor: "Democratization"... or brilliant marketing? I’m imagining her in some Parisian salon, discussing the intricacies of Ibsen while puffing away! It's so different from how performers are commodified today. I get the sense she has agency—at least in her on-screen image. And she looks really proud! Is that an anchor on her shirt? Curator: It is! Likely a nautical or sailing reference – perhaps to the play or role she was famous for, it may allude to popular iconography of the time. These little details contributed to the collectibility and appeal. Each portrait fostered an imagined relationship with these distant celebrities and offered viewers insight into the culture. Editor: All those idealized sailors—dreamy! Imagine collecting these to get to know more. The picture itself—that warm sepia tone, that crispness, the almost-sepia effect... the image now really triggers my curiosity regarding the identity of Mademoiselle Decroizee herself. Curator: Right? That interplay between genuine intrigue and engineered appeal defined that whole era, truly. But consider: mass-produced art helped form communities and dialogues that had impact then and continue to fascinate even now! Editor: I’m finding a nostalgic charm in this… a yearning for that supposedly more accessible art of days long gone, wrapped in layers of complex, yet approachable humanity. I appreciate how this era managed to weave art and consumer culture into a fabric so intriguing that they continue to attract generations.