Ethel Corlette, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes 1888

Editor: Here we have "Ethel Corlette, from World's Beauties, Series 1 (N26) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes," created in 1888. I’m fascinated by the delicate details and soft colors, particularly because it's a cigarette card! It feels very romantic and stylized. What jumps out at you when you look at this, something perhaps I’ve overlooked? Curator: Ah, Ethel! These cigarette cards were quite the sensation, weren't they? What whispers to me is how they turned the everyday act of smoking into a brush with ‘high’ culture. It’s like each puff came with a hint of glamour and an imagined association with the depicted beauties, but what I find quite curious is why the creators were using such "delicate" imagery to sell the cards in the first place. What is your take? Editor: That's an intriguing point! Maybe it's the contrast – something so "refined" packaged with something considered a vice, adding to the allure. It makes it a more coveted object. Curator: Exactly! And consider the time—the late 19th century. Beauty, femininity, celebrity… all were being commodified in new ways. These cards are little windows into those shifting cultural values. I bet most of those people didn't know it at the time. Editor: I never thought about it like that! So much more than just a pretty picture on a card then. More like a snapshot of a changing world! Curator: Indeed. Every piece of art, big or small, is part of a much larger conversation, and that is certainly applicable to "Ethel Corlette, from World's Beauties". Thanks for this insightful viewing. Editor: Thank you for pointing out those intricacies! I will keep that in mind when viewing artworks from now on.