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

Curator: Ah, there's a curious piece. This is "Omene," part of the "Actresses" series produced around 1890 by the Kinney Brothers to promote their Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. It’s fascinating how they combined photography and printmaking for these small cards. Editor: Immediately, she gives me this poised, almost melancholic gaze. There's a beautiful vulnerability to it, wouldn't you say? The sepia tones really amplify that bygone-era wistfulness. It's like glimpsing into a forgotten story. Curator: Absolutely. It's a window into a specific intersection of art, commerce, and entertainment of that time. These cards, while being advertisements, show us how images of actresses were circulated and consumed. They highlight how labor, consumption, and image-making are all woven together. And think about the printing process; it was quite advanced for the period. Editor: Thinking about the cigarette connection makes me wonder what Omene, this woman, was actually like. Do you get a sense of what her performance style might have been from her portrait? Did she get royalties from the company? Curator: It is interesting to see it not just as a photograph of Omene but as a manufactured object. The choice of paper, the inks used, even the design of the typography for "Omene" - each element tells a story about production, class and consumerism. It’s a reminder that even beauty, like this, comes from somewhere, through somebody's labor. Editor: I like that it’s small and fits into your hand. I love this sort of portrait that contains an entire history in a small rectangle. Omene and her likeness become part of this chain of production, consumption and art. It does give me chills in the best possible way, that you could purchase it. Curator: These seemingly simple trade cards can offer profound insights into the history of visual culture and the social dynamics of the late 19th century. It makes me reflect how even a seemingly disposable object like this can still resonate and provoke questions about the past, but especially how that connects to the way the same thing happens to people now, still being purchased to this very day. Editor: I leave here wondering, with newfound awe, about this image, how to not simply admire but understand the multiple layers of this single snapshot, and Omene's quiet strength radiating despite it all.