Omene, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: So, this albumen print, "Omene, from the Actors and Actresses series," dating back to the late 1880s, is really captivating. There's something almost ethereal about the portrait, even though it’s obviously staged. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Ethereal is a great word! For me, it's like gazing into a Victorian dream. I'm transported. Allen & Ginter created these collectible cards for Virginia Brights Cigarettes, can you imagine? This wasn't fine art meant for museum walls, but these delicate photos became pocket-sized obsessions. It is fascinating how they are attempting to exoticize and perhaps even erase her cultural identity by naming this photo for a set called 'Actors and Actresses'. Who do you think Omene really was? Editor: That is such a good question; I hadn’t really considered that at all. I was mostly struck by how staged the portrait seemed – but now it occurs to me to consider who Omene might really be… and why they decided to cast her this way. It sounds like these photos would travel everywhere; was this considered advertising, or art, or something in between? Curator: Oh, absolutely advertising! But what happens when advertising flirts with art? It elevates both, corrupts both! Imagine someone, flicking through these cards, between puffs, ingesting images of faraway lands, performers, ideals... each puff infusing them with aspirations of this image. Do you find that it gives her power, or takes power away? Editor: Hmmm. Well on the one hand it would be an incredible thing to travel the world this way... And I also feel like it has a touch of imperialism in it -- an outsider capturing a culture, but at the same time Omene is present as a powerful actor, and not a stereotype or cartoon... Very interesting. I'll have to keep an eye out for these sorts of cigarette advertisements moving forward... Curator: Indeed, it’s like a faded snapshot of ambition, marketing, and dreams caught in sepia tones. It definitely leaves a contemplative puff in its wake.