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

Curator: Here we have "Minnie Redwood," a photographic print, originally an albumen print, created around 1890 by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, as part of their "Actresses" series, used to promote Sweet Caporal Cigarettes. Editor: Instantly, I'm struck by how... intimate it feels, despite being a promotional item. It's almost like a candid snapshot, even though it's clearly posed. And there is something almost unsettling, yet alluring in her stance, all arch and curve and tease. Curator: Yes, these promotional cards, particularly the "Actresses" series, tapped into a fascination with celebrity culture, making stars accessible to the everyday consumer, but it goes further than this. It's also interesting when considering the historical weight of "women and tobacco," these images create both aspiration and objectification. Editor: Objectification is a strong word but one cannot help feel that she's a prop for tobacco here, or she may well be reclaiming the gaze! Either way, what does this type of staged presentation say about beauty ideals of the period, or indeed about entertainment? Curator: Exactly, and we can think more carefully here about iconography as it perpetuates popular trends, like theatrical portraiture, using symbols to establish a recognisable representation for "actress" that also carries an ethical meaning, in this case desire, popularity and public reach. Editor: And look at the backdrop! Some classical scene of nymphs or maybe muses? Juxtaposed with Minnie, it feels almost cheeky. Almost irreverent. It lends this air of theatricality – of artifice – to the whole image. The cigarette itself almost takes on symbolic form. Curator: Symbols are so revealing aren't they! When we are immersed in symbolism, everything seems much deeper than face value. Kinney Brothers were quite deliberate in crafting associations between actresses, beauty, status and leisure—aspirational concepts cleverly woven into something as commonplace as a cigarette. The layered visual messages provide rich, cultural material! Editor: Right! And looking at Minnie herself, with the sort of, knowing glance...It is just so layered, playful and very intriguing. You have a portrait, a product placement and something that’s trying to subvert expectations, all in one tiny picture. I'm left with an aftertaste like a really sophisticated tobacco blend.