Adelaide Detchon, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 1, issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sporting Extra Cigarettes 1888 - 1892

Curator: Looking at this print, it’s hard not to feel transported to another time. It's titled "Adelaide Detchon, from the Actresses series (N246), Type 1," and was produced between 1888 and 1892 by Kinney Brothers, initially to promote their Sporting Extra Cigarettes. It’s now housed here at the Met. Editor: There's a certain ethereal quality about her. A soft focus, almost dreamy, even though it's a pretty straightforward portrait. The muted sepia tones certainly contribute to the feeling that we’re peering into the past. Curator: Exactly! Think about how these were produced - mass-produced photographs, little cards included in cigarette packs. It was a novel way to both advertise and popularize images of contemporary actresses. Talk about material culture! This image now in a museum originally peddled smoking? I find that delightful. Editor: Fascinating when you consider the context of distribution. Tobacco cards inserted with each package of cigarettes made art directly available as a commodity for every class of consumer. I’m curious about the drawing and photography in the medium composition—was it retouched? To me, it brings up questions of labor involved and value for consumers. Curator: Perhaps slightly, it gives her a gentle otherworldly beauty. In an age of mass production, that's the enchantment these businesses are hoping for. Makes you consider how images become iconic, doesn't it? The subject here is adorned, styled, immortalized. A muse by the hands of industrialists, and then muse again to us here. Editor: Definitely shifts how we see her now. This "Actresses" series from Kinney Brothers tells such a multi-layered story, both about the object and how art adapts across social environments over time. I am now keen to locate the wrappers or labels used at the time. What happened to those ephemeral, material remnants? Curator: Right? Almost more interesting to locate those lost fragments, no? It certainly illuminates so much. A pretty face for all in passing, for just the cost of a smoke. This all still ripples so greatly now, as advertising surrounds our days. A quiet portrait suddenly bellows loud for consideration. Editor: A smoke break's reflection. Thanks for shedding such insightful perspective on a novel artifact. Curator: The pleasure was all mine, I tell you. There's always something that can be gained with one long look.