Ada Richmond, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 2) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products 1887

Curator: Isn't she luminous? There's a sort of soft, amber glow to this print that feels so intimate. It almost feels like a lost dream, a vintage memory. Editor: Indeed, there's a faded elegance to this 1887 print. Here we have Ada Richmond, an actress, immortalized in this promotional print as part of Allen & Ginter's "Actresses and Celebrities" series. This one actually served to advertise "Little Beauties" Cigarettes. Curator: Cigarettes, really? In this seemingly innocent little card? Somehow it does have an alluring undertone when you mention the context of cigarette promotion. The frills on her dress almost mimic the wisps of smoke, creating a surreal sort of connection. Editor: It speaks volumes, doesn’t it? Consider how tobacco companies strategically used the images of women to associate smoking with beauty, sophistication, and a modern, desirable lifestyle, all the while masking the very real and detrimental health effects of tobacco. The layering effect is insidious! Curator: The use of actresses especially adds another layer of artifice to this image. This begs the question, how much of the portrayed image represents Ada Richmond herself, versus how much is purely manufactured for marketing purposes? And furthermore, what agency did she have in the portrayal of herself? Editor: Exactly. Examining such commercial images through a critical lens reveals how women were commodified and instrumentalized, both literally, as commodities and symbolically, as a symbol of commodities in advertising. Curator: Still, though…I see something hopeful there. In her steady gaze, in the delicate set of her mouth. Is that resilience peeking through? Editor: It might be too easy to assume, in hindsight, that her gaze communicates resistance, but it serves to remind us of the complex lived experience of real people behind the manufactured image, especially regarding 19th-century standards and ideals for white, cis-gendered femininity and beauty. Curator: That makes perfect sense, thank you. I guess even a faded photograph can spark such potent discussions and considerations. Editor: Precisely. Art, even in these small forms, is such a potent conversation starter.