Mlle. Gelabert, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

Curator: Oh, isn’t that just dreamy? It reminds me of an old-fashioned valentine, all lace and longing gazes. Editor: It does have that romanticized charm. This is "Mlle. Gelabert, from the Actors and Actresses series," made between 1890 and 1895 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., originally as a promotional item for Duke Cigarettes. Curator: Cigarettes! Imagine getting this lovely image with your pack of smokes. She looks like she's gazing at some distant, sparkling future, so elegant. Do we know anything about Mlle. Gelabert herself? Editor: Details about her are scant, which speaks to a larger point about the period: The industrialization of leisure was booming and performers became advertising vessels in ways that both elevated and diminished their artistic labor. Here she's both an individual and a commodity. Curator: A bittersweet portrait of fleeting fame then. You know, even knowing it’s basically an ad, the artistry wins. Look at the soft focus – that pictorialist style is so effective in conveying a mood of gentle melancholy. Editor: Exactly. The sepia tones amplify that feeling, suggesting a bygone era even at the time it was made. Think about how new photography still was—its power and control being exerted in ways that defined the social constructs of femininity for a new generation. The pose, the dress…everything signifies the performed ideal. Curator: Performed indeed. All these layers of performance—as an actress, as a woman, and now as an advertisement. It makes you wonder what she truly felt about it all. The expression is almost wistful, isn’t it? Perhaps it’s not just about yearning, but a recognition of being seen, displayed, and consumed. Editor: Right. It’s also crucial to consider photography’s accessibility at the time. This image circulated widely, shaping perceptions not only of beauty, but also of what a "modern" woman should aspire to be. It is a convergence of celebrity, commercialism, and societal expectation, all in one tiny, collectible card. Curator: Tiny yet potent! It's quite amazing that so much complexity can be captured in something originally intended to sell tobacco. Now I look at her not just with fondness, but also with a lot more questions. Editor: And that's exactly where the power of art lies—inviting us to unpack layers of meaning and, ideally, reconsider established truths.