Lizzie Payne, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: So, this is "Lizzie Payne," from the Actors and Actresses series, made between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter. It's a small photo, really like a vintage trading card. The sepia tones and her serious profile give it such a poised, almost melancholy feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Melancholy… yes! I sense that too, but with a touch of audacity. Imagine being immortalized, packaged with cigarettes! These cards were truly pocket-sized pronouncements of fame. Don't you think the slight upward tilt of her chin speaks volumes, beyond the tobacco haze and societal norms of the time? She’s saying “Remember me.” Editor: I hadn't considered the audacity of it. So it’s almost subversive, a woman being marketed with cigarettes? Curator: Absolutely! In a period where a woman’s image was carefully guarded, she is literally being consumed by the masses, a shared experience alongside nicotine. Does that change your initial reading, maybe nudging it from melancholy towards something bolder? Editor: Definitely. I still feel the sadness, but now it's like a powerful sadness. She existed, she was important, but her legacy is tied to… this. The impermanence, maybe? Curator: Beautifully put! This card becomes a fragile testament, more about existence, memory and being consumed, in every sense of the word. See, Lizzie speaks, still.