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

Editor: So, this is “Nellie Page, from the Actresses series,” made around 1890 by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company. It's an albumen print—a photograph printed on paper coated with egg white, giving it this sepia tone. She looks kind of defiant, pulling open her coat and vest. It’s a pretty charged image! What jumps out at you? Curator: What strikes me is how this challenges conventional portraiture and societal expectations through carefully chosen symbols. Look at the androgynous attire – the tailored suit, the slightly disheveled waistcoat. In this context, it's not merely clothing, but a bold declaration. How does this challenge traditional notions of femininity? Editor: I hadn’t really thought of it as androgynous...More of an open invitation. But what does that suggest? An independence from the era's feminine expectations? Curator: Precisely! Clothing and gesture acted as potent symbolic shorthand. Consider how gender fluidity allows a nuanced portrayal, inviting curiosity but also challenging fixed identities. Even the cigarettes these images promoted become intertwined. Cigarettes signified rebellion and emancipation. This print, in that respect, transforms into an invitation to experience newfound freedoms. Editor: Wow, so this really complicates the message of a simple photograph! Curator: It reveals how visual culture, especially during times of social change, assigns deep meaning to everyday objects. Symbols don't exist in a vacuum; they evolve and are understood through societal context. It urges one to explore beneath the immediate surface of art. Editor: Thinking about it this way adds a lot of depth. I thought it was only an old ad for tobacco, but I appreciate how it’s communicating identity and aspiration beyond that! Curator: Indeed. It serves as a potent example of the multilayered narratives within seemingly simple artworks.