From the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 5) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: This photograph, a promotional print dating from 1885 to 1891, belongs to a series titled "From the Actors and Actresses series" for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, produced by Allen & Ginter. It's part of the Met's collection. Editor: My first thought? "Smoldering." There's such a soft, dreamy quality to it, like a sepia-toned whisper. Curator: It's interesting to consider the object itself – a cigarette card. This type of marketing offered representations of femininity circulating in a highly gendered industry and cultural context. Editor: Absolutely. It's hard not to see the layering of performance. She's "performing" femininity, certainly, but also her "actor/actress" identity for the gaze of the cigarette consumer. The soft focus helps create that illusion. What do you think? Curator: Exactly. These images reinforce, but also arguably construct ideals around feminine beauty, success and aspiration, against a backdrop of broader debates around suffrage, labour and public life for women. She is objectified, yes, but we should also consider the potential agency of the sitter. Did they actively participate in these constructions? Editor: An interesting proposition. Considering today's climate, how easily images travel, I find myself wondering about control, ownership. This photo feels like an intimate glance, but it’s literally been sold to countless strangers. A bit eerie. Curator: It reflects how images historically helped construct desire, brand loyalty, and aspirational lifestyles. While this promoted gendered tobacco consumption, these early advertisements served also as canvases, displaying society's projections of womanhood and class, against shifting political boundaries and national concerns. Editor: Yes, so this photograph encapsulates this tension between visibility, agency and control. These small paper objects act as material witnesses to larger sociopolitical transformations. Thanks for elucidating! Curator: And thank you for sharing your own observations, reflecting a sensitivity to the historical and personal dimensions enfolded within these images.