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

Editor: Here we have a photographic print from 1887 by Allen & Ginter, featuring the actress Fay Templeton. It's part of a series promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes, so it's basically an advertisement. The image is rather faded, giving it a dreamy feel, but something about using a young girl to sell cigarettes seems odd, even a little disturbing to modern eyes. What can you tell me about the context in which this photograph was made? Curator: It's important to remember that these actresses and celebrities series were immensely popular. Actresses like Fay Templeton were glamorous figures, tastemakers. But they also became associated with products through these cards, effectively lending their celebrity to endorse a particular brand. This wasn’t seen as so disturbing back then, tobacco advertising targeted broad audiences. Editor: So it’s a reflection of its time? The lack of today’s kind of regulation, maybe? Curator: Precisely! And thinking about the distribution method is important. These cards were packaged with cigarettes, incentivizing collecting. They fostered a culture of collecting and trade. The image itself, in its aesthetic approach, leans towards what was then considered “high art,” drawing influence from portrait painting and romantic pictorialism. Editor: How interesting that something created as ephemeral advertising drew from painting! So the portrait isn’t *just* trying to sell cigarettes. Curator: No, it’s participating in a much wider visual culture. Think of it as circulating and reinforcing ideas about beauty, fame, and the rising influence of mass media. Was "beauty" even sellable as a concept then? Editor: I suppose it’s not a new thing to sell, but the layers of it certainly give me more to think about. Thanks! Curator: Likewise. The more one uncovers how imagery circulates through commercial and social networks, the more insightful it becomes!