Mlle. D'anjo, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-8) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Duke Cigarettes 1890 - 1895

Editor: This is Mlle. D’Anjo, a print from the Actors and Actresses series made between 1890 and 1895 by W. Duke, Sons & Co. The sepia tone and the somewhat indistinct quality make it feel very much of its time. What stands out to you? Curator: It's interesting how this image functions as both art and advertisement. The series was designed to promote Duke Cigarettes. Considering this, how does the portrayal of Mlle. D’Anjo contribute to the brand's image and the cultural values it’s trying to associate itself with? Editor: That's a great point! So the image of the actress, with her laurel wreath and what looks like a guitar, it is kind of glamorous but also...respectable? Curator: Precisely! The actress’s apparent respectability lends a sense of aspirational class and artistry to the cigarettes. These promotional prints offered access, albeit mediated, to popular culture and performance. Can you imagine how these small prints circulated, and who had access to them? Editor: Probably wealthy, mostly white, men smoking cigarettes, then. It is a curated image, shaping public perception through art and advertising. It’s a peek into the performance and creation of celebrity. Curator: Exactly! The actress is commodified but simultaneously elevated by associations with the stage. We can think about the way products leveraged and contributed to the development of fame and consumerism. Editor: So it shows how art became this tool for advertising, linking pleasure and product? It's quite different to how I usually think about portraiture. Curator: Absolutely, seeing the image of Mlle. D’Anjo through a historical lens reveals the interplay of commerce, culture, and identity.