Jennie Lowell, from the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 1) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Editor: So, here we have Jennie Lowell, from the Actors and Actresses series, a photographic print made between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter, for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It feels almost like a stage still, deliberately posed. What strikes you about this image? Curator: What interests me is less about the individual actress, and more about the industrial context in which her image circulated. These cards were essentially marketing tools. Consider how the image of Jennie Lowell, an actress, becomes a commodity to sell cigarettes. It makes you wonder about the public's consumption of both celebrity and unhealthy habits at that time. Editor: A commodity, yes, I hadn't thought of it that way. It does raise questions about fame, doesn’t it? How did these images shape the public's perception of actors and actresses? Curator: Precisely! These cigarette cards democratized portraiture but also commercialized it. The masses could now possess and collect images of famous performers. Do you think the pose itself, slightly theatrical, reinforces the idea of constructed identity within this budding celebrity culture? Editor: I suppose so, she's definitely playing a part. Almost like early influencer marketing, before social media. It makes me rethink the entire context of photography and printmaking at this moment in history. Curator: Exactly! Think of the power dynamic, too. The actress's likeness becomes a property of the tobacco company, displayed on mass for profit. Editor: That’s a powerful point. The actress, her image, everything reduced to an element for a company’s advertising strategy. Curator: And the fact that it's attached to a product with known health risks introduces another layer of complexity, ethically speaking. A smiling face and a harmful addiction, all in one little card. Editor: Definitely gave me a lot to consider regarding how we perceive promotional media from this era. Curator: And highlights the complex interplay between art, commerce, and public perception in shaping our cultural narratives.