Adele, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: This is a piece titled "Adele, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes" created sometime between 1885 and 1891. It’s part of a larger set of trade cards distributed by Allen & Ginter, combining photography and printmaking. What catches your eye? Editor: Whoa. That's...striking. Right away I see power. She's got this gaze that says "Don't mess," and those biceps... impressive. It’s unexpected, almost like a challenge to the viewer, or maybe even the whole concept of demure femininity at the time. Curator: Absolutely. These cards, popular in the late 19th century, served as advertising, but they also inadvertently became documents of social change. Presenting actresses and performers, they offered a public stage for women in ways previously limited. Editor: It's the details for me; she is controlling a little whip or crop and the fact that the cards were literally distributed *in* cigarette packs, that’s really bizarre but adds to the picture. She has real authority in her eyes. It’s sort of subversive. Were these like... pin-ups, but make it... progressive? Curator: In a sense, yes. The mass production and distribution meant these images circulated widely, influencing public perceptions. It created a visibility for these women and opened up discussions, however limited, about their roles and aspirations beyond the domestic sphere. The Virginia Brights company may have been focused on commerce, but they became implicated in wider cultural currents. Editor: And it makes you wonder about Adele herself. Was she in on the image, or just doing her job? There’s such agency radiating out. For what was likely mass-produced stuff, you sense someone singular in there, even now. Curator: I agree. The layers of representation, the tension between promotion and self-expression… they offer a snapshot into a rapidly changing world. A potent little picture. Editor: Definitely gives you something to chew on – maybe instead of smoking 'em! A fierce image, indeed, still whispering defiance from a bygone era.