Nellie Rosebud, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

Editor: So, here we have a photographic print, “Nellie Rosebud, from the Actresses series,” made in 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's currently housed at The Met. Something about its faded tones gives it a melancholy, almost ghostly vibe, even though the pose is so energetic. What strikes you about it? Curator: Well, first off, it’s easy to dismiss something like this as just an advertisement, a piece of ephemera. But look closer! Think about it: Sweet Caporal cigarettes sponsoring “Actresses”? It's a fascinating glimpse into how women were perceived and marketed back then, and, dare I say, sexualized to sell a product! Don’t you find it intriguing? Editor: I hadn't really considered the advertising angle so directly. I was more focused on the sepia tone and her movement! But that changes how I see it. How much was Nellie in on this image? Curator: Exactly! Was she complicit, a victim, or maybe even an active agent in shaping her image? Maybe all three. And I'll bet the photographers posed a dozen actresses for dozens of similar ads! Where are they now? Do they have descendants who are in acting? I'm telling you, those cigarette cards weren't just about selling smokes; they were about constructing an image of idealized womanhood for turn-of-the-century consumers, even now. What secrets are being hinted at, yet left unsaid? Editor: That's so fascinating. So much packed into a little cigarette card! I came in thinking this was a simple portrait and now I’m diving down a rabbit hole about gender, advertising, and image creation. Curator: Precisely! And the rabbit holes of art history can sometimes lead to enlightenment. We’re uncovering not just art, but society itself!