From the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: Here we have “From the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes," made between 1886 and 1890 by Goodwin & Company. It's a sepia-toned card, part of an advertisement campaign it seems. I'm struck by its texture – that worn paper, evidence of mass production. What’s your read on this work? Curator: The material is key. It's not just a photograph; it's a tobacco card. Goodwin & Company used images of actresses to sell cigarettes. What labor was involved in this production process? Who harvested the tobacco, who operated the printing press, and who distributed the cards? The image itself becomes secondary to the capitalist enterprise driving its creation. Editor: That's fascinating. So you're saying we should consider the means of production before the image itself? It does feel a bit… exploitative, commodifying this woman's image. Curator: Precisely! Consider the implications. An actress's image, disseminated en masse to sell a product known for its addictive qualities. The bodies are tools – both hers and the consumer's, within a system that benefits the company above all. Editor: So it is really an investigation of how social forces are imbricated into the means and practices of making? Curator: Exactly! Think of how these cards circulated, traded, collected. They're objects of consumption on multiple levels. The Old Judge Cigarettes name makes that fairly explicit too! Editor: That really changes how I see it. Before, it felt like a simple portrait, but now it's about labor, industry, and the economics of desire. Curator: Indeed. By examining the material conditions of its production and consumption, we unveil the hidden structures that give the photograph meaning. Editor: Thank you. Thinking about this image within its commercial context opens up a whole new way of analyzing art for me!