From the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 5) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is an advertising trading card from sometime between 1885 and 1891 for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, part of the "Actors and Actresses" series. It looks like it’s a photograph reproduced as a print. What I find immediately striking is the use of female figures to market cigarettes. It feels... loaded. How do you interpret this work in that context? Curator: Exactly. We must consider the rise of consumer culture and the representation of women within it. This image is less about art and more about the objectification of women for commercial gain. Look at their attire - evoking athleticism and potentially theatrical performance - placed within the context of emerging ideas around women in sports and women's increased presence in public life. What contradictions do you see? Editor: I see how they're trying to project an image of female empowerment and modernity but also very much sexualizing these figures for male consumption, if we consider the presumed target audience. It seems exploitative. Curator: Precisely! Advertising normalizes societal expectations. Who gets to decide these standards of beauty? How are women represented, and what power dynamics are at play? These cards helped perpetuate particular ideals and contribute to the historical oppression of women. Is that problematic? Editor: Absolutely, especially when understanding it as one piece in a larger cultural puzzle. Curator: And understanding the power structures at work can inform our engagement with modern-day advertising as well, hopefully with more discernment. Editor: I never thought about a simple ad being a window into so much more. It’s disturbing how something so small carries so much baggage. Curator: And hopefully inspires us to challenge those dynamics today. Thanks for opening this up!