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

Curator: Here we have a cabinet card from 1890, a photographic print from the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It’s titled “Lansing Rowan, from the Actresses series, issued to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes.” Editor: Mmm, cigarette advertising! Not the healthiest inspiration, but what a dreamy little portrait. It’s like gazing through sepia-toned lace. Curator: The use of photography here, resembling more painterly effects, marks it as part of the Pictorialist movement, emphasizing aesthetic beauty and artistic intention over mere reproduction. Observe how light and shadow coalesce to shape her face. Editor: Exactly. The way her face is tilted downwards, it's as if she’s caught in a moment of reflection, a delicate, almost melancholic reverie. The Aesthetic movement's obsession with beauty shines through; they certainly wanted to evoke feeling. Curator: Precisely. The composition favors a soft focus and tonal range, avoiding harsh lines in favor of muted forms and diffused light—techniques deployed for emotional effect, elevating this image beyond simple advertising. Editor: There's something very intimate about it. Considering it was printed on cigarette cards, of all things! I wonder, did Lansing Rowan even smoke? Or did she just have the 'right look' for the Aesthetic set. Curator: Irrespective, the composition here transcends its immediate purpose, utilizing light, form and the subject’s positioning to convey themes beyond advertisement, creating a microcosm of contemporary beauty ideals. Editor: Well, beyond debates about consumerism, I think it does that job exceedingly well. This image captures a moment, a mood that lingers with the kind of grace rare to find even now. It has that delicate power to still affect. Curator: Indeed, despite its provenance, it remains a potent encapsulation of its era’s artistic and social inclinations. Editor: Couldn't agree more; I may need to acquire an antique cigarette case.