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

Editor: This is "Ada Russell" from the Actresses series by Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company, made around 1890. It's a photo or maybe a print, sepia-toned, very much of its time. She seems to be wearing some sort of theatrical costume. What strikes you most when you look at this? Curator: Oh, darling, it's more than just a photo; it’s a fleeting glimpse into the theatre's seductive dance with commercialism. These cards were tucked into cigarette packs, see, tiny portals to a world of glamour meant to sell… well, smoke! But look beyond the sales pitch. The image, to me, whispers of transformation – Ada Russell, whoever she was, morphing into a character under the gaze of the audience. Do you feel that slight blurring around her? It feels intentional. As though Kinney Brothers wished to depict an impression of movement, rather than a single fixed image. Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the commercial aspect so closely. You mentioned transformation, do you see any hints about the specific roles she might have played? Curator: That’s the delicious mystery, isn't it? Her costume hints at playful theatricality…a touch of the harlequin maybe? I suspect her true role is more in representing 'idealized woman' than actually performing the work in person! It speaks to the larger dance between identity, performance, and how we consume images, then and now, through these cards, or on instagram. What does Ada say to you in this photo? Editor: I guess I see her as a kind of proto-influencer, an image meant to evoke a feeling and sell a product, even if the connection is rather loose. It's made me rethink advertising, really. Curator: Yes! So, now, how does that influence *your* understanding of how we perform identity today, eh? Editor: Definitely something to chew on! Thank you, that was really insightful.