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

Curator: Here we have an albumen print titled "Miss Wilson, from the Actresses series," created in 1889 by William S. Kimball & Company. It’s a rather petite piece. Any immediate thoughts? Editor: Well, first blush? It's giving me vaguely surreal Edwardian theatre vibes mashed up with an anime schoolgirl. The sepia tones really give it a haunting, dreamlike quality, almost as if you were seeing her picture floating in amber. Curator: The Actresses series was distributed as part of a marketing campaign. Think of it—these were essentially collectibles inserted into cigarette packs. Tobacco companies leveraged popular actresses to sell their products and, consequently, reinforced certain ideals of beauty and celebrity. Editor: Oh, it's pure commerce then! It reminds me how the 'perfect image' always gets packaged and sold. It's interesting what they chose to depict - she looks like a strange blend of a geisha, a schoolgirl, and a vaguely Grecian statue. Almost as if it’s every fantasy all mashed into one little photograph! Curator: Indeed! The print shows a nod towards Japonisme with the stylistic use of shape and decorative elements of dress. But the commodification is key here; Kimball wasn't just selling cigarettes, they were selling aspirations. Editor: Aspirations and maybe a little escape! I mean, look at the soft-focus backdrop—it’s like a theatrical set. Everything’s a performance! It asks, what did Miss Wilson, this 'ideal', mean to the consumer then and now? What smokescreen is this trying to draw us into? Curator: Exactly. Advertising intertwines commerce, public image, and these popular notions of art. What began as promotional material provides us insight into cultural and social values during the late 19th century. Editor: Yeah, it really gives you pause to consider all the messages—both seen and unseen—in our modern advertising campaigns. Like, what little trinket in your bag of potato chips is rewriting society's ideas of beauty today? Curator: It is remarkable to consider. This unassuming little piece provides such insight into its era—its aspirations and its manipulations. Editor: Well, now I’ll never look at a pack of gum the same way again! Time to go stare intensely at the wrappers and let the existential crisis sink in.