Card 667, Daisy Murdoch, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is "Card 667, Daisy Murdoch," from the Actors and Actresses series made between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter, currently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's a photograph, though it has a hand-drawn quality to it, perhaps because it is a print on cardstock. What are your initial thoughts? Curator: Well, immediately my focus is drawn to the context of production and consumption. These cards were inserted into cigarette packs – think about that. A small portrait of an actress, a celebrity commodity, used to entice consumers. It speaks volumes about the popular culture and the nascent advertising industry of the late 19th century. Editor: I see what you mean. It wasn’t about art for art’s sake. How does knowing that affect how we view Daisy Murdoch's image? Curator: It compels us to consider the means of its distribution and its purpose. Daisy Murdoch, the actress, becomes a promotional tool, her image mass-produced. The value isn’t solely in the image itself, but in its function as a lure. This mass production using printing and photographic technologies democratizes art, but simultaneously exploits art and labor for financial gain. Editor: So the material aspect, the cigarette card itself, is as important as Daisy Murdoch's portrait? Curator: Precisely! The materiality speaks to the industrial processes at play and the marketing strategies that commodified artistry and fame. Editor: I never thought of it that way, seeing it as a functional object rather than just art. Curator: Considering the labor and materials broadens our understanding. The workers who printed these cards, the tobacco farmers, even the actresses allowing their images to be used—all become part of the artwork's story. Editor: This makes me consider all art in the context of its materials. Thanks!