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

Curator: Here we have "Mlle. Leech, from the Actresses series," a print dating to 1889, created by William S. Kimball & Co. Editor: Wow, what a fascinating relic! It's… sepia-toned, very soft, dreamy, like a half-remembered photograph. She almost looks like she is about to walk into the sea, which is kinda fun and theatrical. Curator: The image originally came from a cigarette card. Actresses, athletes, and other celebrities were featured in these collectible cards. Consider the power associated with actors as both public figures and icons in their own right; a far cry from the religious images used in playing card iconography in the past. Editor: Playing card iconography? Is that like… tarot? She’s almost got that energy. Alluring, self-possessed. And packaged with cigarettes! I find the blend of the mundane—cigarettes—and the aspirational—the actress—utterly fascinating. Did they intend for her to be a good luck charm? Curator: The intended symbolism isn’t clear cut, although we do know that Kimball distributed these cards to promote his tobacco business. And I suspect that her look alludes to contemporary understandings of femininity—she is idealized as sensual but presented in such a way as not to threaten the prevailing sensibilities of the day. Editor: She looks so posed, too! The hand on the hip, the slight turn of the body... It's as though she has been meticulously placed. There is almost a vulnerability. Curator: Agreed! In many ways, this form of advertising reveals anxieties of the day while also confirming them; the card is seemingly progressive in portraying a famous working actress, while it also manages to subdue any potentially controversial attributes via traditional formal conventions and commercial strategies. Editor: Yes, it really is so complex and kind of an enchanting contradiction! It’s like a portal back to a very particular moment in history, isn’t it?