Mlle. Myrrha, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 8) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: This is "Mlle. Myrrha," a print made between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter, part of their Actors and Actresses series for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It's giving me a sense of faded glamour, a peek into a past world of entertainment. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: It’s the veil, isn't it? That hazy barrier both reveals and conceals, like memory itself. Consider how the artist toys with celebrity. We see Mlle. Myrrha, or at least an image carefully crafted for public consumption, softened and romanticized through photography and then further reproduced as a commodity to be collected along with cigarettes. Does that framing affect how you perceive the portrait? Editor: Absolutely. Knowing it was a cigarette card shifts my perspective. It makes me wonder about the relationship between advertising, celebrity, and art. Was it considered art at the time? Curator: A marvelous question! I think what’s particularly charming is the everyday nature of its initial purpose juxtaposed against its journey to a place like The Met. The artist elevates something transient into something permanent, inviting us to ponder our own fleeting existence, much like a puff of smoke… Do you see any resonance between these vintage prints and today's social media influencers? Editor: Wow, I never thought about it like that! I hadn't made the connection to contemporary influencers before. Seeing this artwork in that light definitely changes my appreciation for it. Curator: Exactly! It is wonderful to see echoes of the past flickering in the present.