Fanny Davenport, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 2) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1887

Curator: Oh, this portrait of Fanny Davenport. Something about her gaze… it’s both piercing and vulnerable, don’t you think? It feels like glimpsing a fleeting thought. Editor: There’s a haunting beauty to it, yes. This particular image is part of the “Actresses and Celebrities” series created by Allen & Ginter around 1887. These were trade cards, essentially advertisements for their Little Beauties Cigarettes. Curator: So, Fanny Davenport, the renowned actress, endorsing cigarettes. Strange bedfellows, yet somehow it captures the era. Was she aware that this would be a tool to move tobacco? I bet she did, being such a presence on the stage. What a curious fate—to be remembered through this lens. The subtle coloring in her cheeks is magnificent. Editor: Absolutely, it’s important to recognize the cultural context. Actresses were some of the earliest celebrities, and their images helped to normalize smoking, particularly among women. This piece is part of a larger, exploitative marketing strategy that often used images of idealized women to push products. Curator: Do you find that bothersome in the presentation, like the art doesn't feel complete with the fact its original usage was just that, commercial? Because to me the slight blur in the photograph creates a dreamy haze that almost feels like nostalgia. It does lend it an appeal even in its original dark origins. It sort of invites curiosity. Editor: It’s both captivating and unsettling, right? Seeing it displayed without fully acknowledging the work's ties to consumerism and manipulation could be misleading. What were the economic realities of this moment and did she truly have autonomy of choosing her face to promote these "Little Beauties"? I wonder what we aren't seeing that adds to the understanding, or the illusion of this presentation. Curator: I can definitely concede that! Even with that in mind, the skill of the photographer or printmaker shines through. This fragile drawing gives a sense of time arrested and reflection of life and times and it also invites a conversation, as we are doing now! I love the feeling and that matters. Editor: That’s what's wonderful with looking at these, right? The tension that lies between aesthetics, ethics, and the historical conditions that made it all possible. I do agree that it can move me as well!