Katherine Lewis, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: Looking at this photographic print from between 1885 and 1891, titled "Katherine Lewis, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes," I’m immediately struck by the explicit commercial context of this portrait. Editor: It does have a particular visual texture for its age, though. Despite the faded sepia tones, her gaze holds my attention. She seems to project a studied innocence or perhaps demure confidence. It reminds me of some archetype—the circus performer, the virginal temptress. Curator: The image functions, first and foremost, as a promotional tool. Allen & Ginter inserted these into their cigarette packs to encourage collecting. Each card was a carefully chosen image of what defined glamour in the 1880s, thus boosting tobacco sales by capturing the spirit of popular visual culture and commodifying beauty. Editor: Cigarette cards... It is fascinating to consider how ephemeral cultural symbols became linked to such a vice! I note her costuming and the particular weight those black and white contrasting patterns would have had then. I'm curious about their resonance. The theatrical costuming gives her this duality; it signifies entertainment but also perhaps availability and risk, all compacted into one. Curator: Exactly! This highlights the celebrity culture forming during this period; theatrical imagery and portraits allowed for a controlled sense of access. Note the backdrop—an implied backstage that reinforced theatricality. These elements fed aspirations and social fantasies marketed alongside nicotine. Editor: I see what you mean about fantasies. The cigarette companies turned theatricality into tangible products with aspirations—genius. What is interesting is the subtle visual language being employed here, how images accrue associations within a growing industry. Tobacco is almost like ink – leaving marks, creating desires, all projected upon this face! Curator: I find it equally compelling. To think that seemingly disposable artworks acted as barometers of broader social and economic change is interesting in terms of the cultural economy in America. It underscores how mass-produced art shaped cultural identities through these popular, widely-circulated tokens of desire and status. Editor: A fleeting glimpse into Victorian image-making! It makes you think of how every age chooses its icons.