Julia Opp in A Royal Rival, from the Actresses series (T1), distributed by the American Tobacco Co. to promote Turkish Trophies Cigarettes 1900

Curator: The Turkish Trophies cigarette company issued this chromolithograph in 1900 as part of their "Actresses" series. This particular print, by Frederick Moladore Spiegle, depicts Julia Opp in "A Royal Rival." I find it intriguing as an artifact linking the performance of identity onstage to the seductive world of consumer goods. Editor: It’s stunning, isn’t it? The pose, the colors, a very theatrical sort of splendor. I see almost a Pre-Raphaelite dreaminess married with an appealing, manufactured edge that seems characteristic of mass advertising. Curator: Indeed. The choice of materials reflects an interesting convergence. Chromolithography, though mechanically produced, allowed for a painterly effect that mimics the high art of the period. The use of colored pencils over a photographic base shows an interesting interplay of reproduction and handcrafted aesthetics. It reminds us of how boundaries of craft and art were very actively blurred through these media. Editor: Exactly! The opulent gold of the dress, the lace… all pointing toward an aspiration embodied in both the actress and the cigarette brand. You know, Japonisme also strikes me here with its flattened perspective. The thin material draped overhead looks like an interesting symbol. Does it relate to themes explored within the play or her roles, maybe signifying transformation or unveiling of some sort? Curator: Perhaps. A veil suggests ritual, revealing, but maybe concealing as well. What’s revealed for me is this complicated performance and manipulation of female image. It reminds us that visual symbolism in advertisements worked with and constructed certain ideals of femininity, all for profit. Editor: True. This piece is more than just about representing Julia Opp; it’s also about crafting a whole lifestyle, an aspiration tied directly to the material act of smoking a specific brand of cigarettes. So consumption becomes tied to identity. Curator: Absolutely. Considering this context shifts how we view it. It’s less a straightforward portrait and more of a cultural artifact reflecting the aspirations and anxieties of its time. Editor: I'll remember the layering of artistry and fabrication here. Curator: Yes, let’s contemplate how seemingly simple images reveal intricate stories about society.