Miss De Villiers, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the gentle wistfulness, a fleeting melancholic expression that reminds us of the ephemerality of the stage and, perhaps, of beauty itself. Editor: I can see that! There is a tenderness in how the light falls. This is "Miss De Villiers, from the Actresses series (N203)," dating back to 1889 and produced by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. Curator: Actresses on cigarette cards! There’s a real commentary there, don’t you think? Beauty packaged and commodified for fleeting enjoyment, just like a cigarette. It’s brilliant and sad all at once. I suppose such photographic prints could have been some early form of mass-produced devotion. Editor: Precisely! These images served as symbols of allure, accessible to anyone purchasing the cigarettes. She’s very stylish; there's almost an intentional blurring of line, of form... perhaps a nod to the artistic photography trends of the era. Curator: Oh, absolutely. The soft focus makes it dreamlike. I am reminded that portraits in mass culture filled a kind of collective memory before personal photography was really available. Editor: The lighting reinforces that hazy romantic quality. The subtle details like the fabric of her gown and the slight smile feel incredibly intimate considering it was meant for mass consumption. Do you think she recognized that significance? Curator: An actress… a player… knows their image is currency! And I suppose she contributed by being her own cultural phenomenon. The slight turning of the head implies confidence, an awareness of being seen and admired. Editor: It certainly makes you wonder what the performance was and what symbols are being evoked from theatrical history! Curator: Yes, quite a rich historical capture when you remember how widely these images were disseminated. Editor: Right, this card preserves a very small, almost insignificant moment in art history when consumerism became art history. Curator: Perhaps we shouldn't so quickly separate consumption from "high" art! It may simply be that we have more work to do untangling such connections.