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

Curator: This is a photographic print from around 1890-1895, "Miss Foujere," part of the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) produced by W. Duke, Sons & Co. Editor: The faded sepia tones give it such a delicate, ephemeral feel. There's a soft focus that obscures detail, lending her form a statuesque grace. Curator: Note how the composition is carefully balanced. Miss Foujere occupies the center of the frame, with her gaze directed towards the viewer and a patterned shawl above her. The use of soft focus seems less about realism and more about conveying an impression, almost a Platonic ideal of beauty. Editor: The context of its creation reveals much: Duke Cigarettes used images of prominent women to promote their brand, a reflection of how early advertising targeted burgeoning female consumers. Was this really about female empowerment, or leveraging female visibility to sell tobacco, thus commodifying these women and their accomplishments? Curator: Such questions require us to look carefully at Foujere's posture and attire. The shawl, the set of her jaw, it contributes to a feeling of reserved glamour. The diagonal placement of the shawl overhead creates a sense of dynamic, compositional movement that enlivens the otherwise static pose. Editor: That’s interesting given that "Foujere," literally means fern-like; her image evokes natural and organic growth yet her identity is inseparable from its use as advertisement by tobacco brands of the time, speaking volumes about gender, commodification, and early marketing. Curator: Well, whatever its origins, the carefully calculated composition and tonality of this advertisement certainly create an appealing portrait. Editor: Perhaps such portraits reflect both empowerment and manipulation, intertwined and inseparable. Curator: Indeed, it reminds us to remain vigilant about whose stories get told and how they are presented.