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

Editor: Here we have a portrait of Edith Kingdon, made between 1885 and 1891. It’s a print, originally for Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It's such a tiny image, but the woman's gaze seems to hold a world of stories. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The power of a portrait like this resides in its deliberate manipulation of symbolism. It’s a trading card for cigarettes, but also a vessel holding ideals of feminine beauty and success. Note the pearl necklace - a symbol of purity and status. But why couple this image to cigarettes, knowing of its harm to beauty and youth? Editor: It’s interesting to juxtapose those two meanings, isn’t it? The beautiful woman and then... cigarettes. Curator: Exactly. There’s a fascinating psychological game at play. What is more powerful: Edith Kingdon's celebrity appeal and pearl necklace, or cigarettes, a more accessible commodity for anyone who can purchase them? Editor: So it’s about aspiration then. Like, “smoke this cigarette, and you can be a little closer to *that*?” Curator: Precisely. It speaks volumes about the culture’s aspirations, doesn't it? About status, fame, and access to it all through something as mundane as a cigarette. The portrait has less to do with Edith Kingdon, the person, and more about her image as a carrier for other meanings. Even today, the actress may no longer be culturally familiar, but status, fame, and accessibility still resound. Editor: Wow, I’d never thought of it that way, it seems more about what she represents to society than just about her looks. Curator: These fleeting images preserve not just a likeness, but a cultural moment. It reveals a yearning, and an ingenious method of leveraging image into consumer culture, even today. Editor: This has changed how I view not just the card, but these kinds of commercial images. Thanks!