Miss Durand, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

This is a photograph of Miss Durand, part of the Actors and Actresses series by Allen & Ginter, a cigarette company. These cards, distributed with Virginia Brights Cigarettes, offer a window into the late 19th-century's fascination with celebrity and performance. The image captures a woman in what seems to be a moment of poised elegance, hand resting on a chair, gaze directed slightly off to the side. In this era, the burgeoning mass media created stars, particularly women, who embodied ideals of beauty and sophistication. However, these images also highlight the complex dynamics of gender and commerce. Miss Durand, like other actresses featured in these sets, was both celebrated and commodified, her image used to sell cigarettes. The card flattens her identity into a consumable product, raising questions about the agency and representation of women in the public sphere. It invites us to consider the layers of performance, identity, and commercialism intertwined in this small yet revealing artifact.