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

Editor: This is "Mlle. Danville" from the Actors and Actresses series by Allen & Ginter, created sometime between 1885 and 1891. It's a photograph that's been turned into a print, likely for those Virginia Brights Cigarettes. I’m struck by the sepia tones – they lend it such a nostalgic, almost dreamlike quality. What's your take on it? Curator: Ah, yes, these cards! Tiny portals to a bygone era, aren't they? What catches my eye is the performative nature of the image itself. Consider, for a moment, Danville the actress, poised not just as herself, but as an *idea* of herself. Is she relaxed, or striking a pose? What do you think she is performing here? And the cigarette company turning popular personalities into collectible items, building its own mythology. Editor: It's like they're packaging fame! She seems like she's definitely in a costume – not naturally relaxed. It reminds me of calling cards in Victorian England, and perhaps similar portrait conventions for capturing important personages, even if those persons are actors. But is this high art? Or commerce? Curator: An excellent question! Can't it be both, after all? Remember, art often finds its wings in the marketplace. Think of those Dutch Masters, reliant on patronage... and who is to say popular appreciation is not something of immense value? This little card gives a peep into that relationship, art feeding off of commercial culture, both striving for memorability and maybe... immortality! It reminds us that "high art" and "low art" are simply convenient handles. Editor: That's a really interesting way to think about it, and I can definitely see how this commercial aspect might also have shaped artistic output. Thanks, I learned a lot. Curator: The pleasure was all mine. Perhaps now I’ll pick up a pack of these… Virginia Brights, was it? For research purposes, of course!