Actress wearing straw bonnet tied with blue ribbon, from Stars of the Stage, First Series (N129) issued by W. Duke, Sons & Co. to promote Honest Long Cut Tobacco 1890

Editor: Here we have a promotional print from 1890 by W. Duke, Sons & Co., advertising "Honest Long Cut Tobacco". It features an actress in a straw bonnet. There’s something very coy about her gaze… I’m curious how you interpret the representation of women in commercial art of this period? Curator: It's vital to unpack the societal forces at play here. These "Stars of the Stage" cards weren't just innocent promotions. They were actively constructing and disseminating ideals of feminine beauty and celebrity. Who decided which actresses were worthy of being immortalized in print, and for what purpose? Editor: That's a great point. What strikes me, too, is the idealized femininity. The delicate features, the flowers, and ribbon... all contributing to a certain type of desirable womanhood. Curator: Precisely. And what’s interesting is the performative aspect. An actress, already embodying constructed roles, is then further constructed through this medium. Is this about celebrating women or about controlling their image for the sake of marketing tobacco? We must ask ourselves: What are the ethics of desire being commodified here? Editor: So you're saying we need to see it in terms of the power dynamics at play. How these images both reflected and shaped societal expectations of women. Curator: Exactly! It's a dialogue between art, commerce, and the ever-evolving performance of identity. By questioning the inherent biases in seemingly innocuous images, we challenge the very narratives they perpetuate. What did you think of the color choices, like the pale blue and golden straw? Editor: Actually, now that you ask, I hadn't considered how those colors might be contributing to this sense of ideal femininity, that light airiness that feels intentionally aspirational. Thanks for making me think more critically about how to understand art in context! Curator: My pleasure! Understanding these nuances is key to dismantling harmful stereotypes and fostering more inclusive representation in the arts.