Actress holding fan, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Editor: Here we have a fascinating piece, “Actress holding fan, from the Actresses series,” an albumen print from 1889 by William S. Kimball & Co. It strikes me as possessing a melancholic grace. What really catches your eye in this image? Curator: Oh, absolutely. The sepia tones whisper of a bygone era, don't they? For me, it’s the layering of illusion that captivates. Think about it: here's an actress, posing, *as* an actress. She's playing a part within a part. A carefully constructed identity, marketed through…cigarettes! What layers do you unravel when you peel back the layers? Editor: Cigarettes! That adds a strange, commercial element I hadn’t quite considered. Is the Japanese influence intentional in the composition and the fan? Curator: Definitely. This was smack-dab in the heyday of Japonisme. Notice the flattened perspective, the deliberate asymmetry. It's a wink and a nod to Japanese woodblock prints, filtered through a Western lens. The fan, of course, is the ultimate signifier, right? A prop that is part concealment, part invitation. Editor: So, beyond just aesthetic borrowing, it's also a comment on identity, on performance? Curator: Precisely! Art is the actor in the theatre of perception. Ask yourself: What is she hiding with that fan? And what is Kimball & Co. hiding behind this carefully curated image of feminine charm? What do we conceal to make ourselves sellable to the masses? Editor: I love that. It is more than just a pretty picture; it's a complex cultural artifact masquerading as a simple advertisement. It makes one stop to ponder art, commerce, and self. Curator: It's like staring into a mirror – a slightly tarnished, sepia-toned mirror – reflecting our own curated selves back at us. Wonderful piece, isn't it?