Mollie Fuller, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

Curator: This photographic print from around 1890 showcases Mollie Fuller, an actress, and was actually issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote their Duke Cigarettes. Talk about art as advertisement! Editor: It’s so dreamy, like a sepia-toned memory. The light's diffused, and she's holding her dress just so. I feel like I've stumbled upon a stage whisper from a past life. Curator: Right? It speaks volumes about the marketing strategies of the time, where celebrity endorsements were already in play, blurring the lines between art, performance, and commerce. The pose she strikes probably mimics her act onstage. And what statement is she making as an actress within a commercial landscape dominated by patriarchal structures and tobacco consumption? Editor: Oh, I hadn't thought of the gendered implications of tobacco use in this context! Interesting. But purely on aesthetics, there’s something ethereal about how her dress drapes, it reminds me of those draped sculptures you'd find in ancient temples. I imagine that very gesture translated into something beautiful on the vaudeville stage. Do we know much about Mollie? Curator: We do! Fuller was a notable stage actress, recognized particularly for her roles in musical comedies and vaudeville. Looking at this image through an intersectional lens, one could examine the socio-economic implications for women entertainers, like Fuller, who navigated the male-dominated industry by leveraging their image through advertisements. The performative aspects of gender become even more amplified here, as her feminine allure is commodified to sell cigarettes. Editor: Gosh. See, now you've completely ruined the image for me and you make an important point about that performative aspect of gender. No, I'm kidding! The fact that it's used to promote a cigarette brand is just wonderfully ironic. So what do you take away from the image now? Curator: I am most compelled by its reflection on societal expectations and artistic expression, particularly when viewed through a critical framework that acknowledges power imbalances and historical injustices. What about you? Editor: The beauty of it all, the softness of the lighting… And I still can’t shake the strange mix of stage presence, tobacco smoke, and, maybe, a slight tinge of defiance. A wisp of cigarette smoke captured on celluloid.