Dailly et Lavigne, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is "Dailly et Lavigne," a promotional card from around 1885 to 1891 for Virginia Brights Cigarettes by Allen & Ginter, currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's amazing that it survived inside of a cigarette pack, but it kind of gives me the creeps, with the sepia tones and dramatic poses. It looks like an advertisement. What does this artwork tell you? Curator: "Creepy," you say? Well, it *is* a stage-managed drama for your smoking pleasure, darling! Look at those gestures—isn't there a story bubbling beneath the surface? I find these late 19th century promotional cards fascinating because they straddle photography, printmaking and…pure, unadulterated marketing. But do you see something beyond just actors mugging for a camera? Editor: I notice the polka dots on the woman's dress. It's almost jarring against the antiquated photographic style, as if a modern print ended up in an old photograph. Curator: Precisely! Now, isn't it curious that Virginia Brights chose *this* particular image, *this* duo, for their campaign? The image is also quite interesting – who exactly are Dailly and Lavigne? Does knowing that they were famous performers change our interpretation at all? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it adds a whole other layer. I wonder if people collected these then? Curator: Oh, absolutely! Tobacco cards were a huge craze, miniature artworks tucked in with your cigarettes! Think of it, a brief moment of beauty with your nicotine. I think that these were traded and collected widely. What began as free marketing transformed into a desired image! Editor: So, from a simple advertisement to something people treasured, or at least exchanged. Not so creepy anymore; perhaps just a quirky little artifact. Curator: Exactly! It becomes a cultural mirror, reflecting the aspirations, the trends, and yes, even the guilty pleasures of a bygone era.