Dora Hawthorne, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Curator: This photograph is from the late 1880s and it's part of the "Actors and Actresses" series (N171) created by Goodwin & Company to promote Old Judge Cigarettes. The photograph portrays Dora Hawthorne, an actress of the time. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the sepia tones—it's all creams and browns, which give it such a nostalgic, almost dreamlike feel. And that pose! It's theatrical, like she’s about to launch into some heroic speech on a windswept stage. I almost want to say "To be or not to be…" but with a modern twist. Curator: It is a promotional piece and also an object that encapsulates a crucial time in media history, one that saw a shift towards marketing with images and celebrity endorsement. We could also read Dora Hawthorne's pose and presentation through the lens of female performers and expectations in that period, looking at representation, agency, and the gaze. Editor: Exactly! Think of what was being *sold* alongside the cigarettes—fame, aspiration, maybe even a little rebellion, all rolled into this tiny card. What really gets me, though, is trying to imagine Dora herself. What was she thinking, feeling, when she struck this pose for what was essentially an advertisement? What was her experience navigating the world of theater and media at that time? Curator: Contextualizing her representation within evolving definitions of labor, femininity, and stardom can broaden our perception beyond a mere product endorsement. We might examine questions around the ownership of images, the role of publicity, and the intersections with burgeoning mass culture and female performance. Editor: It does make you wonder who *owns* their image, then and now, which I suppose is always relevant, particularly for a woman in performance. But ultimately, beyond its historical context, the image to me is evocative and quietly haunting, and I am reminded of some fading photograph tucked away in an attic that whispers stories from another era. Curator: It’s the blending of these personal and historical dimensions that grants this photograph, and indeed many objects like it, enduring meaning, encouraging us to reflect upon how we are still engaged with images and promotion within systems of power that, sadly, often haven't changed that much. Editor: Precisely. It's a sepia-toned time capsule inviting us to contemplate past performances and consider the echoes they find in today's cultural landscape.