Miss Rolla, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

Curator: At first glance, she has such a melancholic aura, almost as if a forgotten secret were locked behind those eyes. Editor: Indeed. What we're observing is an albumen print dating back to 1890, titled "Miss Rolla," extracted from the Actresses series, specifically N245, part of Kinney Brothers' promotional campaign for Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Curator: A cigarette advertisement? And they chose *this* for the packaging? What statement were they trying to make associating the puff of a cigarette with such demure restraint? Editor: It speaks volumes about the perception of actresses at the time, doesn't it? A mixture of allure and respectability. The delicate pearls around her neck, her intricate hairstyle… all suggesting refinement. Though there is also the Japonisme influence peeking through – observe the stylized floral elements, indicative of the late 19th-century embrace of Japanese aesthetics. Curator: The Japonisme influence provides such an interesting visual tension, doesn’t it? The rigidity of Western portraiture blended with the flatness and decorative elements of Japanese prints. Did that stylistic tension mirror a tension within the roles women were allowed at the time? Editor: It is highly suggestive! Considering this print's origin as a commercial artifact. An item packaged along with vice! The soft sepia tones further contribute to this mood. It has an aura of intimacy and of wistful nostalgia, no? Curator: Exactly. Looking at this small, unassuming picture, we glimpse societal values, aesthetic trends, and perhaps, just a flicker of the hidden depths within the subject herself, an actress whose name has otherwise been swallowed by time. Editor: A moment preserved, layers revealed. Amazing how much narrative can reside within such a humble object.