May Handey, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: Here we have “May Handey, from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes,” a gelatin silver print made sometime between 1886 and 1890 by Goodwin & Company. The sepia tones give it such an antique feel. What strikes you when you look at this, beyond the cigarette ad association, of course? Curator: Oh, what doesn’t strike me? It's like peeking through a time portal! Look at her pose – she’s both powerful and vulnerable, like a lion tamer with a soft spot. I'm captivated by the mix of the exotic garb and the ordinary objectification… a lady as object to sale cigarettes; aren't we all objects of someone’s perception, if not affection? But more, where does theatre end, and real self begin? She seems, oddly, exposed. What does her vulnerability tell you about her relationship to the stage, to acting in general? Editor: That's insightful. I was focused on the commercial aspect, but the personal element hadn’t struck me as powerfully until now. Is that theatrical pose a window or a barrier? Curator: Precisely! And think about how different the gaze of someone buying these cigarettes, for momentary escape from the world, is from how we might observe her today. Did they see strength or just a pretty picture to discard with the cigarette stub? Our appreciation is different, infused with modern sensibilities... but the longing to 'see' May Handey, I think, transcends time. Do you see what this image of May tells us about the human condition and consumption, as a commercial object, of bodies and souls, of longings, back then as now? Editor: I do! It’s not just a portrait; it’s a time capsule of desire and the early days of advertising… Curator: …wrapped in a delicate dance between reality and fantasy. A blurry border!