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

Curator: What a fascinating artifact! This is a cabinet card dating to 1887, part of the Actresses and Celebrities series produced by Allen & Ginter. Specifically, it promotes Little Beauties Cigarettes and features Lulu Mortimer, a performer of the time. Editor: My first impression is one of… dissonance. The soft sepia tones lend it an air of old-world charm, yet the pose and outfit suggest something more risqué. The contrast is rather striking, isn’t it? Curator: Indeed. These cards existed in a complex social landscape. They served as both promotional tools and collectibles, tapping into the growing fascination with celebrity culture. The seemingly innocent “Little Beauties” juxtaposed against tobacco is… deliberate. Editor: Precisely! The imagery flirts with Victorian sensibilities, using actresses as alluring figures, hinting at a world of entertainment and perhaps slightly rebellious freedom while simultaneously reinforcing the act of consumerism, even vice. There’s almost a mythological aura, like they’re selling a kind of aspiration, using archetypes. Curator: The composition also adds to this tension. Lulu is positioned in front of a painted backdrop meant to evoke a lush, almost Edenic landscape. But it is a flat stage backdrop, artificially enhancing an image manufactured for mass consumption. Editor: This creates an uncanny effect, blurring the lines between reality and performance. Lulu's direct gaze suggests both availability and self-possession. She knows she is an object of desire, but she also seems aware of the performative nature of her role. The power dynamic is more nuanced than one might initially assume. Curator: What’s striking is the symbolism embedded in the “Little Beauties” campaign. The tobacco is associated with worldly glamour represented by actresses, thus building an enticing image of aspiration to charm prospective consumers. Editor: The symbolism becomes very poignant once it is understood that many of these performers had incredibly hard lives. What’s left out of the picture—the labor conditions and the realities of being a woman in show business—is deeply significant. The card creates an elaborate screen, both literally and figuratively. Curator: It is amazing how a seemingly innocuous collectible reveals so much about Victorian society’s attitudes towards women, entertainment, and consumer culture. Thank you, this has broadened my thinking about portraiture quite significantly! Editor: I couldn't agree more. And I see my earlier reaction affirmed in a clearer perspective of the piece and era—and its social impact.