Ada Dare, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: So, here we have "Ada Dare, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes," dating from around 1885 to 1891 by Allen & Ginter. It's a print, a photograph, maybe even a drawing all in one… the trading card format really flattens her presence, making her feel almost manufactured. What's your take? Curator: It's fascinating how these cards blur the lines between celebrity, commodity, and labor. Think about the tobacco industry and the laborers involved in that process, now juxtapose that with Ada Dare herself, an actress whose image is being used to sell these very cigarettes. The photographic printing process itself—a mass production technique—democratizes the image, making Dare accessible, consumable. Editor: Accessible, but also objectified, right? It’s interesting how the very process of reproduction changes her status. Curator: Exactly. Consider the material realities: the card stock itself, the inks, the machinery used to print these. They speak to a growing consumer culture and the means by which images—and, by extension, people—became objects of consumption. Dare’s pose, her clothing…it’s all carefully constructed, manufactured for this purpose. How does that strike you, thinking about her labour as a performer versus her image being used this way? Editor: It's almost like she’s performing labour twice: once on stage, and again as a commodity. The card’s purpose completely reframes how we see her artistry. It really highlights how economic forces can reshape artistic expression. Curator: Precisely! We see the convergence of entertainment, marketing, and industry—all facilitated by the materiality of this small card. Thinking about this from production all the way to how it’s consumed helps unveil social connections otherwise not as easy to see. Editor: This gives me so much to think about in terms of art and its place in commercial culture, especially the relationship between material production and fame. Thank you!