From the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 5) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is "From the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 5) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes," dating from 1885 to 1891, created by Allen & Ginter. It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It looks like a vintage photograph, a portrait on a small card. The woman's body feels very posed and stylized, which, I guess, makes it commercial art. What’s your read on it? Curator: Well, stepping back, we see a confluence of emergent industries: tobacco, mass media, and celebrity culture. Consider the image itself; the subject’s body is a commodity, packaged and sold alongside cigarettes. How does this commodification impact our understanding of women's roles in the late 19th century? What does it mean for these photographic images of bodies to be distributed so widely? Editor: So, more than a simple portrait, it's about marketing and societal expectations? Curator: Precisely. And look closer at the pose, the costume. What societal norms are being reinforced here, and for whom? Think about the relationship between the male gaze and the rise of consumer culture. Who had access to cigarettes at this time, and who were the advertisers hoping to reach? These cards are meant to be collected and traded - a form of early social networking based on commerce. Editor: It is strange to think about it that way - like pre-internet influencers trying to sell a lifestyle with an image. I hadn’t considered that the photograph might carry social meaning because of where it was placed. Curator: Exactly. Seeing this image requires a reading of economic incentives, and its reflection of power dynamics concerning gender, and emerging markets in that era. Considering all these forces brings a richer perspective to a seemingly simple photograph. Editor: I never thought I would look at a cigarette card through a feminist lens. Thanks for showing me how it all connects.