Sara Jewett, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 2) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1887

Editor: This albumen print, a portrait of Sara Jewett from 1887 by Allen & Ginter, presents such an ethereal quality with its sepia tones. It is part of a series of actresses and celebrities used to advertise cigarettes, which feels like such a contrast! What stands out to you about this image? Curator: What strikes me is the deliberate use of portraiture, normally reserved for high society, to sell tobacco. The choice to depict Sarah Jewett, an actress, speaks volumes. She's elevated, almost iconized, but toward the very mundane end of commerce. It's a fascinating appropriation of cultural value. Does it cheapen celebrity, or elevate the product? What do you think? Editor: That's a really interesting point about cultural value. I hadn't considered the dynamic between celebrity and product like that. It definitely makes you think about how advertising shapes our perception of both. Curator: Absolutely. And look at how her gaze is directed – slightly upwards, averted from a direct, challenging engagement. It's the classic pose of idealized femininity. That ties her to broader notions of beauty, virtue, even aspiration, which the consumer then associates with their cigarettes. The brand literally absorbs these established ideas. What memories, beliefs or feelings is the image trying to trigger? Editor: It’s so much more than just a pretty picture! I now see how this portrait is filled with layers of cultural and social meaning from that time period, expertly woven together to influence consumers. Curator: Precisely. These images, seemingly simple, hold entire universes of intent and impact. Editor: I'll never look at an old advertisement the same way again! Thanks for sharing your insights.