Lotta, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: This is "Lotta, from the Actors and Actresses series" made by Goodwin & Company between 1886 and 1890. It's a photographic print, part of a series for Old Judge Cigarettes. There's something really striking about this... Lotta looks almost doll-like, but also incredibly self-possessed. How do you interpret this image, particularly within the context of its time? Curator: This image provides us a window into the complex social landscape of the late 19th century. Consider that mass media was burgeoning, feeding a hunger for celebrity, and simultaneously reinforcing rigid social roles. Here, we have a figure, “Lotta,” packaged for consumption via cigarette cards. What narratives about women in performance do you think this card subtly promotes or undermines? Editor: That's fascinating. I guess I hadn’t really considered the commodification aspect so directly. It’s both celebrating this actress but also, like you said, packaging her. Curator: Exactly. Think about the context: consumer culture emerging, ideas of fame being manufactured. Moreover, note the performative gender presentation. The almost caricatured clothing contrasts with the gaze. Who is Lotta performing for, and what power dynamics are at play? Editor: It’s making me think about agency and visibility, how someone in the public eye navigates those spaces, and how their image might be controlled and distributed. Curator: Precisely. Images like this are never neutral. By questioning their production and reception, we can gain a far more nuanced understanding of how identity and power operate. Editor: I see so much more in this photograph now! Thanks for putting it in a historical and critical context. Curator: It’s about encouraging critical seeing, constantly asking: who benefits from this image? Who is silenced? Art can show that history never really stays in the past.