Yolande Wallace, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is a photograph from between 1885 and 1891, titled "Yolande Wallace, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes," created by Allen & Ginter. It feels almost like a candid shot, but obviously staged. What's striking about this image to you? Curator: Well, I see the immediate connection to commodification. It's not simply a portrait, but explicitly linked to Virginia Brights Cigarettes. Think about the material conditions of this image - mass produced, a giveaway inserted into cigarette packs. It elevates popular actresses, but ultimately, it's about selling tobacco. It raises interesting questions about the nature of celebrity and consumption, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. So, this image becomes less about Yolande Wallace the person, and more about her image being a commodity? Curator: Exactly. How does her likeness function within the framework of this particular brand? What does it say about labor that she is posing as requested to meet their desires, and how will it further cigarette sales? What does it tell us about the relationship between the emerging culture of celebrity and consumerism at the time? Even the photographic process itself – how does the printing method employed allow for mass production and distribution? Editor: It’s fascinating to think about how something seemingly simple like a photograph can be so loaded with meaning around labor and marketing. Did people collect these, further solidifying the bond? Curator: Precisely! Collection drives consumption. These were meant to be accumulated and traded, reinforcing brand loyalty and the celebrity image that's used to support those sales. The image, and Yolande’s face become marketing tools, objects for trade. Editor: I never thought about cigarette cards this way. This gives me so much to think about! Curator: Exactly, by seeing this work as deeply embedded within circuits of production and consumption, we move beyond traditional art-historical narratives, opening it up for critical discussion.