Miss Jarbeau, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co. 1889

Curator: This is “Miss Jarbeau, from the Actresses series (N203) issued by Wm. S. Kimball & Co.,” dating back to 1889. It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a fascinating blend of drawing, print, etching and photography. It’s also interesting to consider that it’s a tobacco card, part of a promotional series for Kimball cigarettes. Editor: Okay, first impression: theatrical and confident, but definitely a character. It's a bit like a vintage playbill somehow mashed together with a sepia-toned dream. Is she holding… is that a cue stick? Or some odd sort of scepter? Curator: More likely a fishing rod. What strikes me is how deliberately staged the whole image is. The hat, the slightly defiant pose... She is enacting a persona, projecting an image of the "New Woman" then emerging, someone at ease outside societal norms. Editor: Absolutely, she is playing a role within a role! This is carefully orchestrated "naturalness". Do you get a slight orientalism vibe as well? I'm not sure where I pick it up. Curator: The Ukiyo-e influence might contribute to that impression, given the widespread fascination with Japanese art during that period. It was quite trendy. The very act of depicting an actress, placing her on a collectible card, elevates celebrity culture into a tangible form of symbolic value. These small images helped construct fame and desirability. Editor: You know, considering the context of it being on a cigarette card, it adds an interesting layer of commentary. She becomes both a figure of admiration, almost worshipped, and a symbol of consumption itself. Does that feel a little problematic? Curator: Yes, such pairings between tobacco brands and idealized feminine beauty are fraught with implications, reinforcing prevailing attitudes about both women and addiction, even luxury. However, what do you make of the figure in such a confident pose? Is that empowerment or pure performance? Editor: I think both. It's empowering precisely because it's a performance. She understands the symbolic language of the time and knows how to manipulate it, or at least participates in it, wittingly or not. Curator: I'll mull that over; that's a fascinating point. Looking closely always unveils surprising depths of cultural encoding. Editor: For sure! It's never just a pretty picture. There are layers here, even on something seemingly this straightforward, so many stories whispering across time.