Miss Williamson, from the Actresses series (N245) issued by Kinney Brothers to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes 1890

Curator: Well, doesn't she just drip of that fin-de-siècle ennui? So wonderfully weary. Editor: Precisely! And if you glance here, we are observing "Miss Williamson," a print that hails from 1890, part of the "Actresses" series issued by Kinney Brothers to promote their Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. You can find it here at The Met. Curator: Oh, cigarettes! That explains the air of fashionable world-weariness. It is such a sign of the times. I wonder if her holding that feathery fan so prominently, it looks almost caged? Perhaps it speaks to some... societal constraint on a woman in those days. Editor: What a lovely observation. And it's a layered visual code; the fan has always had different associations, often flirting or concealment but yes, in the late 19th century, particularly in portraits like these, it also symbolizes an element of guardedness or restraint imposed on women in public life, something like keeping things back or unsaid. Also notice the hint of the style Ukiyo-e influencing it! Curator: Ah, I see it now. The decorative floral wallpaper seems very consciously placed. What do you think it means to her inner world, perhaps some hidden talent waiting to bloom? Or is it an overbearing reminder of domesticity, keeping her chained to these ideas and societal norms that dictate her supposed purpose? Editor: Exactly the tension those images play with. Flowers always mean so much: feminine accomplishment, beauty, nature and a delicate yet forceful reminder of time passing as the season is short. It’s this dance between overt visibility and subtle symbolism. Cigarette cards offered more than just a stiff picture – these offered glimpses of personalities, social commentary of aspirations, capturing the cultural mood through the symbol. And if the cigarettes had an 'exotic' or 'oriental' allure through their tobacco or branding, a touch of Ukiyo-e reinforced the message, offering a glimpse of worldly allure, however fleeting! Curator: Wonderful! Suddenly she isn't a weary beauty but more an explorer with something hidden up her lacy sleeves! Editor: An entire universe conveyed on such a small card... and all that imagery we attach to it that it has to whisper… rather than shouting about its stories.