Card 523, Lydia Thompson, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: Here we have "Card 523, Lydia Thompson" from the Actors and Actresses series by Allen & Ginter, dating from around 1885-1891. It’s a fascinating object made of drawing, print, and photographic elements. Editor: My first impression is the softness of it. A sepia dream… or perhaps a haze of cigarette smoke? Curator: Well, that's quite apt considering the image was originally distributed with Virginia Brights Cigarettes! We're looking at a mass-produced card intended to boost sales. Consider the labor involved in photography, printing, and distribution on such a scale at the time. The whole enterprise speaks volumes about the culture of celebrity and commodification during the Gilded Age. Editor: Yes, but look at Lydia herself! Her theatrical costume, that elaborate headdress, the pose… She embodies a very particular ideal of feminine allure. Note the floral imagery, repeated in her attire – symbols of beauty, perhaps even fleeting fame. The fact she is sitting down denotes elegance. Curator: Indeed. The images presented are highly crafted to convey that message of luxury. They’re using her established fame and theatrical appeal to sell a product – a literal consumption of imagery meets material consumption. We must consider the source image, photographic production and its relationship with industrial processes that reproduced this imagery. Editor: And what did Lydia represent to the audiences of the time? The theatrical symbolism must resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. The image functions almost like an amulet, connecting the smoker to that glamour, or the celebrity. Do you think that today's consumer understands or grasps how prevalent symbolism truly is? Curator: It’s debatable. Certainly, they may not dissect it in the same way we are now. What remains unchanged is that this exchange of value still operates. Someone benefits materially in all this… Editor: Right, there are some captivating ideas here around visual consumption and the symbolism within these constructed archetypes. I have really been inspired by this work, thank you! Curator: My pleasure. For me, it always comes back to understanding the tangible aspect of that process and how it shapes culture at large.