Card 733, Louise Paullin, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: Looking at "Card 733, Louise Paullin, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 2) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes," by Allen & Ginter, dating to somewhere between 1885 and 1891... such a quaint image, isn’t it? Editor: Yes, there’s an almost sepia dreaminess about the photograph. I’m struck by how consciously performative it is, and a little somber given its commercial context. The actress Louise Paullin seems carefully styled to convey a sense of… what? Innocence tinged with experience? Curator: Well, the portrait series was a very specific and savvy way of merging consumption with celebrity culture. Think about the rise of brand recognition intersecting with public fascination with the theater. It also ties into labor, showing the work of performers, photographers, printers... layers of labor, literally, when considering how such objects would have been layered as product, in cigarette packs. Editor: Absolutely, that’s where its intrigue lies for me, too! On one hand, her corseted costume, posed stance and floral arrangement speak to late 19th-century ideals of femininity and beauty – the symbols are overt. But, beyond the staged portrait, doesn’t that rose she’s holding point to deeper levels of meaning? The ephemeral nature of beauty, perhaps, and its relation to the performing arts? Curator: Indeed, the commercial card acts like a miniature portable billboard tapping into consumerist desire. Even the 'toned paper' has implications for both the practical and the aesthetic functions of these trading cards, right? We often think of art existing only within a vacuum. This is a clear example showing visual style being influenced by economic choices. Editor: Precisely! I can’t help but also note the trace elements of Japonisme too, despite how quotidian it may appear. From Allen & Ginter drawing aesthetic inspiration to capitalize on the culture fervor and implement it through cost effective materials, it shows their understanding of the changing tastes. Curator: To your point about consumerism and meaning: Even in such a functional and commonplace piece, these cigarette cards speak volumes. Thanks for unpacking that. Editor: And thank you! Looking closely reveals the depth embedded in what appears, initially, like mere throwaway ephemera. The cultural weight behind those commercial items!