Mlle. Chattairy, Paris, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

This is a photograph of Mlle. Chattairy, a Parisian actress, made by Goodwin & Company in the late 19th century as part of an advertising series for Old Judge Cigarettes. This belongs to a wider cultural context, where commercial imagery was becoming pervasive. Cigarette cards like this were cheap, mass-produced images that were collected, traded, and often reflected contemporary values and ideals. Here, the figure of the Parisian actress is presented as glamorous and exotic, appealing to the consumer’s aspirations for sophistication and worldliness. The image is designed to create meaning through specific visual codes. Consider the actress's elaborate costume, which hints at the spectacle of the theater, and the "Paris" designation in the title, which invokes the city's reputation as a center of fashion and entertainment. The history of photography and commercial advertising are crucial to understanding this image, as is the rise of celebrity culture. To truly understand this artwork, we would need to research the careers of actresses like Mlle. Chattairy and the advertising strategies used by tobacco companies at the time. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.