Catharine Lewis in "Olivette", from the Actors and Actresses series (N171) for Old Judge Cigarettes 1886 - 1890

Editor: So, here we have a photo – printed on a cigarette card, actually – of Catharine Lewis dressed as Olivette. It was created sometime between 1886 and 1890 by Goodwin & Company. It's surprisingly... theatrical, considering it's advertising tobacco. What catches your eye? Curator: Ah, yes, theatrical and terribly *earnest*, don't you think? She’s gripping that rope ladder like her life depends on it, yet there’s a twinkle that suggests it's all just a grand performance. But what strikes me most is the collision of worlds—high art reduced to something disposable, yet immortalized, paradoxically, *because* it’s disposable. Tell me, does that tension sing to you, that push and pull of value and ephemerality? Editor: Definitely. It's funny to think of something considered disposable then now being displayed in a museum. But also, she looks very self-assured. Was this common for women in portraits back then? Curator: Self-assurance certainly wasn't discouraged on the stage! Think of the late 19th century as a tug-of-war. Old expectations lingered, but actresses, these *celebrated* actresses, they wielded a new sort of power—economic, cultural. The camera loved them, and audiences, gasp, *adored* them. What do *you* read into that assertive gaze, young scholar? Editor: Maybe defiance? Or, like, "I know what I'm doing up here on this ladder and on this stage?" But, you’re right – the cigarette ad aspect throws everything into question. Curator: Exactly! A commodity wrapped in layers of ambition, entertainment, and societal change… and tobacco smoke. Almost makes you want to start collecting cigarette cards, doesn’t it? Editor: It does give you a lot to think about for such a small object!