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

Editor: So, this is “Angela, from the Actresses and Celebrities series,” dating back to 1887, by Allen & Ginter. It's an albumen print, and it’s striking how melancholy the young woman seems. What do you see in this piece? Curator: There’s a dreamy quality, isn't there? This piece is part of a set used to promote tobacco products. It’s odd to think of artistry and advertisement intertwined like this, yet that's often where inspiration thrives! The delicate sepia tones lend her an aura of another time, almost a memory, like a faded photograph tucked into a forgotten locket. Tell me, what feelings does the soft focus evoke in you? Editor: Definitely a sense of nostalgia, like something precious that's fading. Knowing it was an advertisement cheapens it a bit, though, doesn’t it? Curator: Or does it amplify it? The ephemeral nature of celebrity, the way beauty is packaged and sold… it all seems startlingly modern when framed with that knowledge. We crave immortality but consume images like commodities. Do you think she knows she will be immortalized for her celebrity through these materials? The little pearl earring seems especially touching. It's something so human. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. It makes me wonder about her life, what she was like. Thanks! Curator: Yes. Beauty in a frame; a window into a forgotten past that, paradoxically, says much about today's fleeting passions. Another layer added to its depth for each passing generation.