Irene Verona, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: Here we have "Irene Verona, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes" made sometime between 1886 and 1890, by Goodwin & Company. It's a photographic print that was originally a cigarette card. It feels like a celebration of performance, but the commercial aspect is undeniable. What do you see when you look at this? Curator: I see a complex intersection of celebrity, commerce, and gendered representation. The "Actors and Actresses" series speaks volumes about the commodification of fame in the late 19th century. What’s interesting here is the double-layer of representation – Irene Verona is an actress, embodying a role, and is, in turn, embodied by the advertisement. Does this layering complicate or reinforce expectations about feminine identity and value at the time? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn't considered how she is embodying a role, then her image is taken, printed, and placed in a pack of cigarettes. So, are you suggesting her value, as a performer and a woman, is being reduced to a token for a commercial exchange? Curator: Precisely. The photograph normalizes the male gaze and reifies dominant beauty standards, shaping popular imagination. Consider, too, the political economy of tobacco at the time, its connection to colonialism and exploitation. This image, seemingly innocuous, participates in a web of power dynamics that deserve critical examination. Where do you see her fitting in society? Editor: Wow, I did not think a cigarette card could be so layered. I'm really getting a sense of the impact this had and how intertwined society and advertisement became! Curator: Exactly, analyzing the production, distribution, and reception of these images reveals how ideology operates through visual culture. The layers really add new depths! Editor: Definitely! Thank you, that's a new way to examine this, so valuable.