Miss Mortimer, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

This is a photograph of Miss Mortimer, part of a series of actresses produced by the Wm. S. Kimball & Co. for cigarette cards. These cards emerged in an era of burgeoning consumer culture, subtly intertwining desires: smoking and admiration for performers. Miss Mortimer, in her theatrical garb, offers a glimpse into the performance of identity. The clothing suggests a role, a character, and the image captures a constructed persona, raising questions about the boundaries between private and public self. These images weren’t just innocent tokens; they participated in the commodification of women, their images circulated and consumed like the cigarettes they accompanied. What does it mean to capture someone’s image and distribute it en masse? This image speaks to the intertwined nature of celebrity, consumption, and the gaze. It asks us to reflect on how we participate in constructing and consuming images of others.