Card Number 254, Myra Goodwin, from the Actors and Actresses series (N145-2) issued by Duke Sons & Co. to promote Cross Cut Cigarettes 1880s

Curator: My eye is drawn immediately to the dramatic composition, the strong vertical thrust of the figure looming over the kneeling boy. Editor: Indeed. Let's delve into the historical context. What we're looking at is one of the cards from the "Actors and Actresses" series, created in the 1880s by W. Duke, Sons & Co. as promotional material for their Cross Cut Cigarettes. This particular card, number 254, features an image of Myra Goodwin. These cards were distributed widely to promote their brand of cigarettes. Curator: Note how the photograph has a distinct tonal range, relying on a subdued palette, mostly sepia. The print is very graphic. Editor: The print provides a snapshot into Victorian class structures and child labour. Look closely, you will see the labor is made very visible and its placement is clearly defined, whilst the leisure class is defined by that labour. Curator: I see how the figures' clothing contrasts to enhance this effect; the boy in worn fabrics and the top-hatted figure draped in something heavier and far more polished. But consider the interplay of light and shadow: it sculpts form and dictates where the viewer’s eye lands. Editor: Absolutely. These cards became highly collectible, yes, due to the rising advertising industry. More than that, consider the cigarette manufacturers' pursuit of branding themselves through this novel blend of photography and consumerism. The distribution channels and manufacturing costs became increasingly cheaper. Curator: And the figure herself, Myra Goodwin. Note her ambiguous role in the tableau, which reinforces both figures with a stark formality. Editor: A cog, like this little photograph itself, in a larger economic machine. We can look at how such photographs changed marketing in general at the time. The production, distribution, reception, and then finally the disposal. That’s where the meaning and, as a consequence, beauty of these pictures actually is. Curator: Ultimately, by analyzing the form of Myra, the artist directs us beyond mere representation. These compositions reflect far deeper societal structures. Editor: Very well observed, let's keep looking.