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

Curator: Looking at this fascinating trade card from 1889 featuring Mlle. Perrine, part of the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co., I'm immediately drawn to how these miniature portraits reflect both celebrity culture and advertising practices of the late 19th century. The Met houses the work, and it gives such an interesting snapshot of its time. Editor: It has a strange melancholy, doesn’t it? Like she's perched on the edge of something, a bit like a bird taking a rest. Even the sepia tone contributes to this overall…stillness. What do you think the designers were hoping to convey here? Curator: Trade cards like these were ubiquitous; imagine them tucked into cigarette packs, small enticements blending consumerism and admiration. The images themselves aimed to communicate respectability. Perrine would have been a recognizable face, and associating her likeness with their product provided a kind of endorsement of sorts. The photograph is so formally composed. Notice the ornate bench where she sits, and even her carefully posed hands. These images circulated so broadly; one can argue these became seeds of larger celebrity culture to come. Editor: Yes, there’s also the curious, very direct gaze. It's an almost haunting interaction! It makes you wonder who Mlle Perrine was outside of this tiny little rectangle. I imagine someone must have treasured it, saving it inside an album, collecting them, it's easy to wonder what stories such fragile things carry within them. Also I'm intrigued, is that really a photo or an artistic rendering done from a photo? I cannot put my finger on what looks somehow stylized instead of photographic about it! Curator: These were indeed widely collected, and you know, even today, collecting cards and similar small-scale artwork, connects one to a shared history and passion. As for photographic process versus rendering... you pose such a poignant question! Perhaps this blend echoes anxieties related to early industrialisation of photographic printing where clear boundaries between hand-crafted or industrial no longer apply. Editor: So much in such a little, ephemeral piece! A tiny time capsule capturing shifting cultural winds and artistic practices of its moment. Curator: Precisely. And reminding us, yet again, that seemingly small artifacts can reveal expansive landscapes of cultural memory.