From the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: So, this is an albumen print, dating back to the late 1880s, part of the "Actors and Actresses" series for Old Judge Cigarettes by Goodwin & Company. The portrait has such a dreamy quality... almost ethereal. What do you see in this piece beyond just an old advertisement? Curator: I see a deliberate construction of femininity marketed within a burgeoning consumer culture. These images weren’t simply capturing a likeness; they were selling an ideal, specifically tied to actresses. Editor: An ideal? How so? Curator: Think about it. These actresses, even on cards packaged with cigarettes, were already figures of public fascination, embodiments of desire and aspiration. Consider that a photograph like this circulated widely – what effect did it have on shaping perceptions of female identity and beauty, particularly in a time of social and political shifts? Editor: That’s a good point, this image definitely has its own power beyond advertisement... This puts the commercial function in a completely different context. I guess these cards, while small, functioned as a visual archive, influencing cultural norms about gender. Curator: Exactly. And think about the accessibility – cigarettes were relatively cheap, placing these images within reach of a broad audience, solidifying particular narratives. Who was excluded, and whose image was elevated? These are important questions to ask. Editor: I never really thought about these as tools that shaped culture... I appreciate learning more about the cultural implications of commercial art! Curator: Glad I could help open up the lens of the world we consume!